AN 


AUTHENTIC    HISTORY 


LAWRENCE  CALAMITY 


KMBR  A  C  I  N  G     A 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  PEMBERTON  MILL, 


A  DETAILED  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  CATASTROPHE, 


A  CHAPTER  OF  THRILLING  INCIDENTS, 


:•  CONTTUBETTONS  TO   T1IK  RELIEF  FUND,  NAMES  OF  THE  KILLED  AND  WOl 


ABSTRACTS  OF  SERMONS  ON  THE  SUBJECT, 


REPORT  OF  THE  CORONER'S  INQUEST,  &c. 


BOSTON: 
JO  JIN    J.    DYER    &     CO.,     35     SCHOOL     STREET, 

18  6  0. 


GEO.    C.    RAND    &    AVERY,    PRINTERS,    BOSTON. 


'*e«stA" 


U] 


UNIVERSITY  OF  MASSACHUSETTS^ 

LIBRARY 

SPECIAL 
COLLECTIONS 


F 
7k 

1860 


GODS 


W  Order 
all  garment 


J^.XTj. 


TSTOM   DEPARTMENT, 


GEO.   W.    SIMMONS,   PIPER   &  CO., 

32  &  34  North  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 


MUTUAL    LIFE    INSURANCE. 


E  NEW  ENGLAND  MUTUAL  LITE  INSUEANCE  CO. 

No.    39     STATE    STREET,    BOSTON, 
INSURES  LL\  HJS  OX  THE  MUTUAL  PRINCIPLE. 

et  Accumulation  exceeding  $1,350,000,  and  increasing,  for  benefit  of  members, 

ent  and  future  —  the  whole  safely  and  advantageously  invested. 

'he  business  conducted  exclusively  for  the  benefit  of  the  persons  insured. 

he  greatest  risk  taken  on  a  life  —  $15,000. 

urplus  distributed  among  the  members  every  fifth  year,  from  December  1, 

3  —  settled  in  cash,  or  by  addition  to  policy. 

'remiums  may  be  paid  quarterly  or  semi-annually,  where  desired,  and  amounts 

not  too  small. 

orms  of  application  and  pamphlets  of  the  Company,  and  its  reports,  to  be  had 

ts  agents,  or  at  the  office  of  the  Company,  or  forwarded  by  mail,  if  written  for. 


CHARLES    P.    CURTIS, 
MARSHALL    P.    AVILDER, 
THOMAS    A.    DEXTER, 
CHARLES   HUBBARD, 
FRANCIS    C.    LOWELL, 


SEWELL    TAPPAN, 
WILLIAM    B.    REYNOLDS, 
GEORGE    H.    FOLGER, 
A.    W.    THAXTER, 
JAMES    STURGIS. 


WILLARD    PHILLIPS,    President. 
ijamin  F.  Stevens,  Secretary.  John  Homans,  Consulting  Physician. 


AN 


AUTHENTIC   HISTORY 


OF     THE 


LAWRENCE  CALAMITY 


EMBRACING    A 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  PEMBERTON  MILL, 

A  DETAILED  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  CATASTROPHE, 

A  CHAPTER  OF  THRILLING  INCIDENTS, 

LIST  OF  CONTRIBUTIONS  TO   THE  BELIEF  FUND,  NAMES  OF  THE  KILLED  AND  WOUNDED, 

ABSTRACTS  OF  SERMONS  ON  THE  SUBJECT, 

BEPOET  OF  THE  CORONER'S  INQUEST,  &o. 


BOSTON: 
JOHN    J.    DYER    &    CO.,    35    SCHOOL    STREET, 

1860. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 
MASSACHUSETTS 

AMHERST,  MASS. 


*■ 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1860,  by 

JOHN  J.  DYER  &  CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  tho  District  Court  for  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


t 


S tereot y p  ed    by 

COWLES     &     COMPANY, 

17  Washington  St.,  Boston. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  destruction  of  the  Pemberton  Mills  at  Lawrence,  -with  its  attendant  appalling 
loss  of  life,  and  injury  to  the  living,  is  an  event  calamitous  beyond  precedent  in  the 
list  of  American  casualties,  and  has  stirred  the  public  heart  to  its  swiftest  pulsations 
of  sympathy  and  grief.  The  memorable  scenes  of  that  terrible  night  at  Lawrence,  can 
never  be  effaced  from  the  minds  of  those  who  witnessed  them,  while  the  thrilling 
records  of  the  events  given  to  the  world  have  met  and  bedewed  the  eyes  of  millions. 
In  view  of  the  magnitude  of  the  event  and  of  the  public  interest  in  all  that  relates  to 
it,  more  especially  in  the  result  of  the  investigation  into  the  cause  or  causes  of  the 
calamity,  the  editors  of  this  work  have  brought  together  a  full  history  of  the  affair, 
with  its  scenes  and  incidents,  and  have  affixed  thereto  a  report  of  the  investigation 
of  the  coroner's  jury.  In  preparing  this  history,  the  editors  have  been  involved  in 
the  arduous  and  almost  incessant  duties  of  daily  newspaper  life,  and  they  rely  more 
upon  the  interest  taken  by  the  public  in  all  that  relates  to  the  disaster,  than  upon  any 
merit  of  style.  In  fact,  it  is  but  a  plain  narrative  of  the  tragical  event,  some  connected 
history  of  which  has  been  demanded  by  the  public.  The  work  is  in  a  measure  a 
compilation  from  those  newspapers  of  the  day,  to  the  fdes  of  which  Ave  have  had  ii-ee 
access.  We  have  carefully  excluded  all  those  incidents  which  have  not  been  well 
authenticated.  Arriving  early  on  the  ground,  and  remaining  through  the  dreadful 
scenes  of  the  succeeding  fortnight,  we  believe  that  we  have  been  enabled  to  select 
the  true  from  the  merely  probable,  and  to  give  the  reader  a  straightforward  and  re- 
liable history. 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 


THE  PEMBERTON  MILL. 

The  PembertoN  Mill,  the  fall  of  which  was  attended  with  immense  loss  of  life, 
and  incidents  more  thrilling  than  the  productions  of  the  most  imaginative  writer,  —  a 
history  of  which  is  given  in  the  following  pages,  —  was  one  of  the  finest  mills  in  the 
enterprising  city  of  Lawrence.  The  structure  was  built,  in  1853,  by  the  Essex  Land 
and  Water  Company  for  the  Pemberton  Mill  Company,  of  which  Mr.  J.  P.  Putnam 
was  managing  director  and  financial  agent.  The  mill  was  built  from  plans  by  Capt. 
Charles  II.  Bigelow,  an  engineer  of  undoubted  reputation  in  his  profession,  and  ho 
gave  his  personal  attention  to  the  work  upon  it,  assisted  by  Mr.  Benjamin  Coolidge,  a 
gentleman  of  experience  and  integrity.  The  wTork  of  building  was  commenced  about 
the  first  of  January,  1853.  The  excavation  was  made  by  Mr.  William  Sullivan ;  the 
foundation  was  laid  by  B.  D.  Gowan,  subcontractor  under  Mr.  Isaac  Fletcher,  who 
took  the  contract  from  the  Essex  Company.  The  brick  work  was  done  by  Messrs.  J. 
B.  Tuttle  &  Co.,  under  the  following  contract,  which  shows  the  construction  of  the 
walls :  — - 

"Lawrence,  Feb.  14, 1853, 

"It  is  hereby  agreed  between  J.  B.  Tuttle  &  Co.,  of  Lowell,  Mass.,  brick  masons,  and 
the  Essex  Company,  by  Charles  II.  Bigelow,  their  engineer,  that  the  said  Tuttle  &  Co- 
shall  build  the  brick  work  of  Mr.  Putnam's  mill,  and  other  buildings  appurtenant  thereto, 
in  Lawrence,  not  including  boarding-houses,  on  the  following  terms,  viz. :  Said  Tuttle 
&  Co.  are  to  furnish  all  materials  and  labor  for  laying  the  bricks,  for  the  sum  of  three 
dollars  and  thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents  per  thousand.  The  mortar  is  to  be  of  such 
proportions  of  lime  and  sand  as  shall  be  satisfactory  to  the  engineer  of  the  Company, 
and  the  joints  are  to  be  filled  in  perfectly  solid  with  mortar.  If  any  portion  of  the 
brick  work  is  required  to  be  laid  with  a  portion  of  cement  in  the  mortar,  it  is  to  be  done 
without  any  extra  charge  to  the  Company,  provided  the  cement  used  in  the  work  is 
furnished  by  the  Company  to  the  contractors.  The  walls  are  to  be  laid  with  a  hollow 
space,  four  inches  wide,  for  the  circulation  of  air  throughout,  except  when  banding  walls 
are  necessary  to  connect  the  inner  and  outer  sections  of  the  wall  together,  and  to  form 
piers  for  the  support  of  the  beams  of  the  floors.  The  general  form  and  dimensions  of  the 
building  arc  shown  in  the  plan  exhibited  in  the  Essex  office  in  Lawrence.  The  under- 
pinning is  to  be  set  by  the  said  Tuttle  &  Co.,  if  they  are  rccpiired  so  to  do;  and  the 
getting  is  to  be  paid  for  at  the  rate  of  six  cents  per  square  foot  of  underpinning  seen. 


6  THE   LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

The  stone  caps  and  sills  of  the  doors  are  also  to  be  laid  by  the  said  Tuttle  &  Co  as  far 
as  they  are  required  so  to  do,  and  the  setting  is  to  be  paid  for  at  the  rate  of  six  cents 
per ^square  foot,  stone  cutter's  measure.  The  number  of  bricks  to  be  paid  for  to  Messrs. 
Tattle  &  Co.  1S  intended  to  be  the  actual  number  laid  in  the  work,  including  the  bulk 
of  the  stone  caps  and  sills  of  the  windows,  for  the  setting  of  which  no  other  charge  is  to 
be  made,  and  making  no  deduction  for  the  holes  for  the  beams.  The  brick,  wflThe  de- 
bvered  to  the  said  Tuttle  &  Co.,  on  the  cars,  near  the  head  of  the  canal  in  Lawrence, 
whence  they  are  to  be  taken,  and  the  cars  returned  without  unnecessary  delay  A 
safsfactory  count  of  bricks  received  shall  be  kept  by  the  said  Tuttle  &  Co/sufficient  to 
how  that  the  whole  number  mtended  to  be  delivered  is  received.     The  whole  of  the 

S;0^:  t^zt  s^r*  ■*  ™"c — -* «■*  »  - -* 

*£££>  ofiX"1  buiIdills  is  t0  be  executed  with  a  ™  to  its  «*-*■ 

"Payment  shall  be  made  for  the  above  work  from  time  to  time,  during  its  progress  so 

um  1 1  wo°rl    am°Untir  I  Shal'at  n°,time  eXCGe(1  three"WhS  °f  thC ^  *™  C 
until  the  work  is  completed  satisfactorily,  when  the  remainder  shall  be  paid. 

"  SiSncd'  J.  B.  TUTTLE  &  CO., 

"  CHARLES  H.  BIGELOW, 

"  Engineer,  Essex  Co." 
The  carpentering  was  done  by  Messrs.  Dodge  &  Knowles,  of  Lowell,  men  of  m-eat 
experience  in  buildings  of  this  character.  ° 

Fullerparticulars  of  the  construction  of  the  building  will  be  found  in  the  report  of  the 
coroner's  inquest,  appended  to  this  work  P 

the  fall  of  1853.     Work  was  continued  without  material  change  in  the  class  of  manufac- 
tures or  in  ownership  until  the  disastrous  season  of  1857 

At  that  time  manufacturing  was  depressed  to  an  extent  not  known  before  for  years 
The  owners  became  involved  and  the   property  was  offered  at  auction,  work  haviL  for 

I0™  t,mtC  b6en  7P6Ddf  '  and  jt  ™  Phased  by  Messrs.  George  Howe  and  Edward 
Nev.ns,  two  gentlemen  of  great  experience  in  manufacturing 

The  mill  was  started  again  under  the  corporate  name  of  'the  Pemberton  Manufactur- 
ing Company.    The  purchase  was  made  on  the  8th  day  of  February,  and  the  ma"  in  " 

b  Mten     With  th       I  and  f nt'  ™  ^^  SCndin?  ^  *»  *»  of'  *»*-7  earty 
in  March.     Willi  the  return  of  prosperity,  and  under  the  energetic  management  of  the 

LTrS  S;!„G  T  WaSdl'hT  Wlth  a  fdl  f0rCGUntiI  the*4ofthe  accident,  Jant 
ai  j  io  I860,  when  at  once  were  destroyed  the  lives  of  nearly  a  hundred  human  beings 
a  much  larger  number  were  wounded,  and  the  prosperity  of  the  owners  was  seriously 

^tteith1:  ;irkened  a  "is  in  thc  —*  —  «  -  -  X 

.  T'^  main  bmhhng  was  five  stories  in  height,  two  hundred  and  eighty  feet  Ion.  and 
eighty-four  feet  wide.     There  were  besides—  c' 

An  ell  six  stories  in  height,  sixty  feet  by  thirty-seven  ; 

A  weaving  shed  one  story  high,  one  hundred  feet  long,  and  thirty-six  feet  wide  ; 
4£^£L5£  b-U"»*»***  **-  one  hundred  and  forty  feet 


TIIE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  7 

A  cotton-liouse,  two  stories  high,  one  hundred  feet  long,  and  forty-eight  feet  wide ; 

A  repair  shop,  two  and  a  half  stories  high,  fifty  feet  long,  and  twenty-five  feet  wide. 

The  last  three  buildings  were  not  injured  by  the  fall  or  by  the  succeeding  conflagra- 
tion, being  detached  from  the  main  mill.  The  ell  and  the  weaving  shed  remained  with- 
out damage  until  the  fire  broke  out,  which  communicated  with  them  from  the  ruins  of 
the  main  building,  with  which  they  were  connected. 

The  second  story  of  the  dyehouse  was  used  for  weaving,  and  contained  sixty  looms. 
The  second  story  of  the  cotton-house  was  also  used  for  weaving  and  contained  one 
hundred  looms.     Eighty-four  looms  were  accommodated  in  the  Aveaving  shed. 

Of  the  main  building,  the  different  stories  were  occupied  as  follows  : — 

The  first  story  was  used  for  weaving.  The  number  of  looms  in  operation  here  at  the 
time  of  the  ruin  of  the  mill  was  about  four  hundred,  making  the  whole  number  of  looms 
in  the  mill  about  six  hundred  and  fifty. 

The  second  story  was  devoted  entirely  to  carding  machinery,  of  which  there  were  in 
operation  in  this  room  as  follows:  One  hundred  and  seventy-six  cards ;  twenty-eight 
railway  heads ;  sixteen  drawing  frames  ;  eight  slubbers ;  fourteen  fly  frames ;  four  card 
grinders. 

In  the  third  story  were  machines  for  spinning  and  twisting,  as  follows  :  Seventy 
ring  spinning  frames,  one  hundred  and  sixty  spindles  each ;  fourteen  ring  twisters, 
one  hundred  and  sixty  spindles  each ;  and  two  Mason  mules,  six  hundred  and  eight 
spindles  each. 

In  the  fourth  story  were  carding,  spinning,  and  drawing-in  machines,  as  follows :  Forty 
cards  ;  three  reeling  heads;  four  drawing  frames;  two  slubbers  ;  nine  fly  frames;  four- 
teen Sharp  &  Roberts'  mules,  six  hundred  and  seventy-two  spindles  each;  twenty 
drawing-in  frames. 

In  the  fifth  story  were  machines  for  dressing,  warping,  spooling,  winding,  quilling,  and 
reeling,  as  follows :  Twenty  dressers;  twenty-five  warpers;  nineteen  skein  winders; 
eight  spoolers ;  two  quillers ;  twenty-two  reels  (in  the  ell,  in  connection  with  the  ma- 
chinery in  the  main  building). 

The  first  story  of  the  ell  was  used  for  packing ;  the  counting-room  was  in  the  second 
story ;  the  third,  fourth,  and  fifth  stories  were  occupied  as  finishing  and  cloth  rooms  ; 
and  the  sixth  story  was  used  for  reeling. 

Whole  number  of  looms  in  the  mill,  six  hundred  and  fifty. 

Whole  number  of  spindles,  including  those  for  twisting,  twenty-nine  thousand. 

The  goods  manufactured  were  fancy  cottonades,  ticks,  stripes,  denims,  and  flannels. 

The  average  consumption  of  cotton,  when  the  mill  was  in  full  operation,  was  sixty 
thousand  pounds  per  week. 

The  average  production  of  goods  was  about  one  hundred  and  fifteen  thousand  yards 
per  week. 

The  machinery  of  the  mill  was  driven  by  three  turbine  wheels,  two  hundred  horse 
power  each.  The  wheels,  the  main  gearing,  and  the  pen-stock  were  not  injured.  The 
mill  was  heated  by  steam,  generated  in  a  large  boiler  which  occupied  a  building  by  itself, 
between  the  main  building  and  the  cotton-house.  From  this  arose  a  chimney,  one 
hundred  and  forty-two  feet  in  height  which  withstood  the  violence  of  the  crash. 

The  mill  was  situated  south  of  all  the  other  cotton  factories,  extending  with  its  con- 
nected outbuildings  from  the  canal  to  the  river. 

The  mill  and  property  connected  with  it  cost  in  the  neighborhood  of  $800,000.  The 
present  owners  bought  it  at  auction  for  $325,000. 


8  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

The  property  was  insured  as  follows  :— 

Boston  Manufacturers'  Mutual $40,000 

American,  of  Boston , 20,000 

National,  ';       2(1.000 

Boylstou,  "       15,000 

Neptune,  "       15  000 

Prcscott,  "       10.000 

Eliot,  "       10,000 

City,  "       10,000 

Home,  of  New  York 15  000 

N.  American,    li  10,000 

Manhattan,      "         10,000 

Metropolitan,  "         10.000 

Humboldt,       "         10.000 

Fulton,  "        10,000 

Lamar,  "         10.C00 

People's,  "         10,000 

N.  Y.  Fire  and  Marine,  of  New  Nork 10,000 

Continental,  of  New  York 10,000 

Rhode  Island  Mutual,  of  Providence 17.500 

Firemen's,  "  17,500 

Manufacturer's  Mutual,  "  17.500 

Providence  Washington,  "  15.000 

Commercial,  "  15.000 

Merchants',  "  15.000 

American,  "  10,000 

Gaspce,  "  10.000 

Hartford,  of  Hartford,  Conn 15.000     " 

Boyal.  of  London 12.500 

Springfield  Fire  and  Marine,  of  Springfield 10.000 

Mechanics'  Mutual,  of  Worcester 15,000 

£415,000  , 

The  building  was  well  protected  against  fire.  The  floors  were  of  heavy  planks,  and 
the  beams  and  rafters  were  exposed  and  painted.  Perforated  iron  pipes  ran  at  right 
angles  through  each  room.  Suspended  from  the  floor  beams,  steam  pipes  ran  in  the 
same  manner.  The  water  pipes  connected  with  the  hydrants  of  the  city  water  works, 
and  with  five  force  pumps,  were  located  in  the  picker-house,  which  was  just  in  the 
rear  of  the  main  building.  There  was  a  stationary  hose  and  fire  apparatus  in  each 
room. 

Nearly  a  thousand  operatives  were  employed  in  the  mill.  The  temporary  suspen- 
sion caused  by  the  involved  condition  of  the  first  company  had  caused  destitution  and 
suffering  among  a  large  population  dependent  upon  it  for  support.  Its  suspension  then 
having  an  effect  so  wide-spread,  its  fall  without  warning,  when  in  full  blast  of  success- 
ful operation,  spread  terror,  anguish,  and  distress,  through  the  same  circle.  Some  six 
hundred  operatives  were  at  work  in  the  main  building  at  the  time  of  the  catastrophe. 
The  life  of  every  one  was  attacked  with  imminent  peril,  and  the  escape  of  five-sixths  of 
them  from  instant  death  now  seems  almost  a  miracle.  The  history  will  show  something 
of  the  thrilling  incidents  connected  with  the  disaster,  and  the  suffering  which  it  occa- 
sioned, happily  relieved,  where  human  aid  could  relieve,  by  the  bounteous  streams  of 
charity,  never  so  thoroughly  awakened.  But  the  disfigured  corpses  of  the  dead,  and  the 
anguish  of  the  heart-broken  and  desolate,  are  results  which  charity  could  not  obliterate, 
and  kindness  could  not  drive  away. 

THE     CAT  ASTBOPHE. 

The  most  heart-rending  calamity  of  the  age  will  forever  distinguish  the  Tenth  Day 
of  January,  1SG0.  On  that  day,  at  thirteen  minutes  before  five  o'clock,  in  the  afternoon, 
the  Pemberton  Mill,  in  Lawrence,  Mass.,  fell  to  the  ground  without  a  moment's  warning, 
and  buried  a  large  number  of  operatives  in  the  ruins.  The  destruction  of  the  whole  of 
the  main  building  was  complete,  and  the  succeeding  calamity  of  fire  burned  and  de- 
stroyed all  that  the  crash  had  left. 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  9 

The  following  announcement  of  the  catastrophe  was  sent  from  Lawrence  to  the  Asso- 
ciated Press.  The  first  details  given  that  evening  were  hastily  written  in  the  midst  of 
great  excitement,  and  were  subsequently  proved  to  be  full  of  errors : — 

"  Lawrence,  Mass.,  Jan.  10,  6  p.m. 
"  One  of  the  most  terrible  catastrophes  on  record  occurred  in  this  city  this  afternoon. 
The  Pemberton  Mills  fell,  with  a  sudden  crash,  about  five  o'clock,  while  some  six  hun- 
dred or  seven  hundred  operatives  were  at  work.  The  mills  are  a  complete  wreck,  and 
some  two  hundred  or  three  hundred  are  still  supposed  to  be  buried  in  the  ruins.  At 
present  it  is  impossible  to  give  any  thing  like  a  correct  account  of  the  loss  of  life,  but, 
from  the  best  authority,  it  i3  believed  that  at  least  two  hundred  arc  dead  in  the  ruins. 

"  Midnight. 
"  Within  the  past  ten  minutes  the  whole  mass  of  ruins  has  become  one  sheet  of  flame ! 
The  screams  and  moans  of  the  poor,  buried,  burning,  and  suffocating  creatures  can  be 
distinctly  heard,  but  no  power  on  earth  can  save  them. 

"  Half-past  one  o'clock. 

"  The  Pemberton  Mills  are  now  a  flat,  smoking  mass.  Brick,  mortar,  and  human  bones 
are  promiscuously  mingled.  Probably  not  less  than  two  hundred  human  beings  perished 
in  the  flames !  The  fire  made  quick  work,  burning  not  only  the  main  buildings,  as  they 
lay  flat,  but  spreading  to  the  material  that  had  in  kindness  been  removed." 

The  writers  of  this  proceeded  by  the  last  train  to  Reading,  at  nine  o'clock,  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  disaster,  and  from  thence  took  a  team  to  Lawrence.  The  excitement  and 
horror  which  had  filled  the  city  spread  far  around  in  the  neighboring  country.  Ap- 
proaching within  five  or  six  miles  of  the  city,  between  twelve  and  one  o'clock,  people 
were  found  riding  and  walking  to  or  from  the  scene  of  disaster.  Every  house  was 
lighted  up,  and  knots  of  people  stood  by  the  roadside,  eagerly  listening  to  the  latest 
news.  At  that  distance,  a  bright  light  was  seen  reflected  in  the  sky,  and  it  was  after- 
wards found  that  the  devouring  element  had  seized  upon  the  pile  of  fragments,  obliter- 
ating all  hopes  of  saving  any  of  those  who  had  not  been  reached,  and  ending  all  the 
lingering  misery  with  a  misery  more  intense,  though  happily  shortened.  As  the  city 
was  neared,  the  appearances  of  excitement  increased.  The  whole  community  seemed 
to  be  abroad,  and  a  wild  throng  gathered  about  the  ruins,  which  were  still  fiercely  burn- 
ing. The  whole  building  was  completely  demolished,  and  the  fire  had  eaten  its  way  to 
the  bottom  of  the  rubbish.  A  tall  column  on  the  south  side,  and  a  similar  one  opposite 
and  near  the  canal,  with  a  small  portion  of  one  end  of  the  building,  alone  were  stand- 
ing. Engines  were  about  the  ruins,  throwing  water  into  the  smoking  and  burning  mass, 
and  thousands  of  people  were  crowding  the  vicinity.  The  canal  had  been  bridged 
with  rafts  of  boards  thrown  on  the  cracking  ice. 

We  arrived  at  one  o'clock,  and  even  at  that  hour  found  a  large  part  of  the  pop- 
ulation around  the  scene  of  disaster.  Many  houses  had  had  sufferers  returned  to  them, 
and  there  was  anxious  watching.  The  City  Hall  was  made  a  temporary  hospital  and 
dead-house,  and  thousands  flocked  there,  in  the  sad  hope  of  discovering  friends  and 
relatives  among  the  dead  and  wounded ;  for  those  whose  bodies  had  not  been  found  were 
known  to  have  suffered  a  more  horrible  fate.  Many  who  had  escaped  the  bruising 
blows  of  the  falling  mass  were  reserved  only  for  the  more  terrible  death  by  fire. 

Witnesses  of  the  ruins,  when  those  inside  were  crying  for  aid,  describe  the  scene  as 
appalling.  Some  of  those  lacerated  by  the  falling  machinery,  with  no  hope  of  escape, 
2 


10  TIIE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

were  excited  to  desperation.  One  who  was  early  on  the  spot  says  that  from  the  top 
and  sides  of  the  pile  of  walls  and  timbers,  the  operatives  worked  their  way  out,  some 
unhurt,  but  a  large  number  bearing  serious  bruises.  Many  more  were  wedded  in  by 
the  timbers  and  machinery  in  such  a  manner  that  they  were  unable  to  assist  themselves. 
The  alarm  spread  through  the  town  like  wildfire,  and  the  citizens  forsook  their  places 
of  business,  and  rushed  to  the  spot.  Women  and  children  deserted  their  houses  leaving 
the  doors  wide  open,  and  thinking  of  nothing  but  the  dreadful  alarm.  Suc'i  a  panic 
never  seized  the  inhabitants  of  a  town  in  the  land.  Those  who  could  work  plied  hands 
and  tools  briskly,  all  with  heavy  hearts,  and  spirits  saddened  by  the  frantic  cries  of  some 
for  help,  the  groans  of  the  dying,  and  the  disfigured  corpses  of  those  who  had  been 
killed.  As  the  bodies  of  the  wounded,  dead,  and  dying  were  taken  out,  those  which 
were  recognized  were  delivered  to  their  friends,  and  such  as  were  not  recognized  were 
taken  to  the  City  Hall.  In  this  way,  as  many  as  could  find  room  upon  the  pile  labored 
unremittingly. 

From  five  o'clock  until  eleven  the  work  continued  with  great  energy;  and,  although 
many  were  taken  out  dead,  and  many  more  terribly  wounded,  there  was  an  active  hope 
that  others  yet  might  be  saved.  With  steady  blows  the  work  proceeded,  and  barrier 
after  barrier  was  removed  as  the  laborers  worked  their  way  into  the  inner  part  of  the 
ruins.  Every  advance  exposed  the  dead  and  the  wounded  and  the  imprisoned,  and 
they  were  borne  away.  After  the  panic  of  the  alarm,  which  lasted  for  a  few  minutes, 
the  men  fell  into  companies,  as  they  could  work  most  advantageously,  and  labored  with 
perfect  discipline.  Every  moment  some  sufferer  was  released.  Meanwhile,  the  rela- 
tives and  friends  of  those  employed  in  the  mill  were  running  about  from  place  to  place, 
where  a  new  voice  was  heard  wailing  and  moaning.  E^er  and  anon,  a  glad  cry  arose 
above  the  lamentations,  which  told  of  some  lost  one  foivnd.  Everybody  taken  to  the  City 
Hall  was  followed  by  a  throng  of  mourners  or  inquirers.  Those  who  were  rescued  alive, 
and  slightly  injured,  were  clasped  to  the  arms  of  fathers,  mothers,  brothers,  sisters,  and 
friends,  with  cries  of  joy  so  vehement  and  wild,  flat  they  could  not  be  distinguished 
from  the  shrieks  of  despair  which  indicated  the  discovery  of  the  dead.  Then  followed 
a  scene  which  can  no  more  be  described  than  the  terrors  of  an  earthquake  or  a  battle- 
field. 

When  the  workmen  heard  appeals  for  rescue,  and  saw  those  inside  of  the  ma^-ive 
timbers,  who  could  be  relieved  with  continued  effort,  when  even  some  were  seen  alive 
and  apparently  unhurt,  to  whom  were  extended  words  of  hope  and  assurance,  the 
dreadful  cry  of  "Fire!"  was  heard,  which  spread  dismay  over  the  assembly,  and  covered 
the  faces  of  the  workmen  with  a  despair  that  they  had  not  before  known.  Almost  su- 
perhuman exertions  were  made  when  this  new  horror  developed  itself;  but  the  (lames 
spread  rapidly  over  the  whole  mass,  and  many  of  those  who  had  escaped  the  dangers 
of  the  crash  were  literally  roasted  alive.  In  another  part  of  this  history  we  give  some 
thrilling  incidents,  but  no  words  can  describe  the  anguish  of  this  terrible  moment. 
Those  who  were  present  will  have  the  scene  burned  with  fire  upon  their  hearts  so  long 
as  they  mingle  with  or  remember  the  eventful  things  of  life.  Then  a  more  agonizing 
cry  of  despair  arose,  and  the  shrieks  of  those  imprisoned  mingled  with  the  piercing 
screams  of  those  outside,  who  foresaw  the  end  of  their  only  hopes  in  an  awful  death. 

The  fire  spread  with  fearful  rapidity.  The  water  works  connected  with  the  mill 
were  rendered  useless  by  the  destruction  of  the  building ;  still  there  was  a  large 
amount  of  water  poured  upon  the  fire  from  various  sources.  Eleven  streams  were  ol> 
tained  from  the  hydrants  of  the  Washington  Mills,  the  fire  department  of  Lawrence 
was  prompt  and  indefatigable  in  its  labors,  and  a  steam  fire-engine  from  Manchester, 
arriving  at  a  late  hour  after  the  fire  broke  out,  did  efficient  service.     The  ruins  were 


THE   LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  11  ' 

deluged  with  water,  but  still  the  presence  of  cotton  waste,  saturated  with  oil,  the  floors 
rendered  combustible  by  the  dripping  of  oil  from  the  machinery,  and  above  all  the 
depth  at  which  the  fire  originated  and  burned,  rendered  it  difficult  to  extinguish. 

Many  of  the  operatives  found  shelter  under  the  several  floors,  which,  being  very 
strongly  constructed,  did  not  fall  entirely  to  pieces.  But  what  was  to  them  a  protection 
from  the  crushing  effects  of  the  fall  of  the  building,  proved  their  final  destruction. 
When  the  fire  broke  out,  these  floors  shed  the  water  like  roofs,  leaving  the  flames  to  rage 
beneath  them,  and  the  unfortunates  were  beyond  the  hope  of  rescue.  Their  groans 
and  shrieks  were  heart-rending,  and  the  greatest  exertions  were  made  to  save  them, 
but  in  vain.  The  work  of  removing  heavy  machinery,  immense  timbers,  large  masses 
of  brick  work,  and  other  debris  of  the  factory,  was  necessarily  slow,  and  the  fire,  which 
had  been  dreaded  from  the  first,  when  it  had  once  commenced,  was  uncontrollable. 

And  so  work  continued  through  the  night,  the  firemen  remaining  at  their  stations, 
and  every  voluntary  laborer  doing  his  utmost. 

At  the  first  dawn  of  the  morning  the  people  collected  again  at  the  scene  of  desola- 
tion and  death.  Many  had  not  thought  of  retiring  to  rest,  and  many  more  had  not 
closed  their  eyes  in  sleep.  Faces  heavy  with  watching  were  clouded  with  a  tenfold 
gloom.  The  morning  bells,  which  had  before  betokened  a  returning  prosperity,  rang 
out  like  solemn  death  knells. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  solemnity  of  feeling  which  reigned  through  the  night,  it  was 
interesting  to  hear  the  firemen  lightening  their  labors  at  the  brakes,  and  cheering  each 
other  to  renewed  exertions,  not  with  idle  songs  and  gay  tunes,  but  with  revival  melo- 
dies and  old-fashioned  psalms. 

Thus  this  terrible  night  passed  away ;  in  our  chapter  of  soul-stirring  incidents  will  be 
found  much  to  add  to  the  picture  to  which  our  whole  narrative  cannot  do  justice.  The 
excitement  was  not  confined  to  Lawrence.  It  not  only  extended  into  the  suburbs,  and 
brought  forth  nearly  the  whole  population,  but  in  Boston,  and  all  the  manufacturing 
towns  of  New  England  an  intense  feeling  stirred  the  people.  A  feeling  so  universal 
and  all  pervading  has  had  no  equal  in  the  age.  In  another  part  of  this  history  will  be 
given  the  results  of  the  catastrophe,  which  will  stand  a  mark  for  reference  for  ages  to 
come. 

The  fall  of  the  mill  was  so  sudden  that  no  time  was  allowed  to  those  inside  to  exam- 
ine the  cause  of  it.  From  the  evidence  we  have,  it  seems  that  it  first  commenced  to 
fall  near  the  centre  of  the  south  end  in  the  fourth  story,  and  that  the  whole  structure 
was  pulled  in  by  the  weight  of  the  machinery  and  the  strong  connection  of  the  walls. 
Those  outside  who  saw  the  fall  noticed  first  the  top  giving  way,  near  the  south  end,  and 
describe  it  as  falling  in  towards  the  north  end,  as  fast  as  a  person  could  run.  The  floors 
seem  to  have  descended  without  breaking  apart,  and  this  accounted  for  the  large  num- 
ber saved,  while  it  shows  that  many  more  would  have  been  rescued  but  for  the  fire, 
which  put  an  end  to  the  labors  of  the  workmen,  and  destroyed  the  hopes  of  those  who 
were  looking  anxiously  for  friends  and  relatives.  Many  of  the  persons  who  were  res- 
cued from  the  ruins  alive,  owed  their  escape  from  instant  death  to  the  arches  of  the 
looms,  which  resisted  the  immense  weight  of  timbers  and  machinery,  and  left  a  space 
between  the  floors  in  which  the  sufferers  could  move  about. 

No  opinion  in  regard  to  the  cause  of  the  disaster  need  be  given  here  ;  the  best  evi- 
dence on  this  head  will  be  found  in  the  report  of  the  coroner's  inquest  in  another  part 
of  this  work,  where  the  statements  of  eye-witnesses  are  given,  from  which  the  opinion 
of  the  public  will  be  made. 

The  crowd  of  visitors  at  the  scene  of  the  calamity  on  that  evening  was  continued 
through  several  days  ;  even  for  a  week  after  the  disaster  the  city  was  crowded  with  an 


12  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

unusual  number  of  people  whose  curiosity  led  them  to  view  the  scene  where  such  a  trag- 
edy had  been  enacted.  Thousands  upon  thousands  of  people  thronged  the  town  by 
every  means  of  conveyance,  and  filled  the  stroets  with  an  active  multitude,  such  as  they 
had  never  before  seen. 

AT    THE    CITY    HALL. 

As  the  wounded  and  bodies  of  the  dead  were  taken  from  the  ruins,  such  as  had 
homes,  and  were  recognized  by  friends,  were  immediately  taken  away  by. them,  but  the 
larger  portion  were  carried  directly  to  the  City  Hall,  which  had  immediately  been  fixed 
upon  as  the  most  convenient  building  in  the  city,  to  be  used  as  a  hospital  for  the  in- 
jured and  a  receptacle  for  the  bodies  of  the  dead.  Lien  at  once  commenced  conveying 
them  thither,  the  wounded  upon  litters,  and  the  dead  upon  biers.  And  as  these  little 
corteges  proceeded  along  the  streets,  in  quick  succession,  the  men  marched  with  rapid 
but  careful  step,  and  with  almost  sinking  hearts.  Each  was  followed  and  surrounded 
by  a  crowd  of  excited  persons,  ministering  to  the  comfort  of  those  not  already  dead,  or 
filling  the  air  with  cries,  as  they  saw  the  death-stamp  fixed  unmistakably  on  the  features 
of  friends  and  relatives.  At  the  door  of  the  building,  an  immense  number  congregated, 
and  the  lower  floor  was  so  full  of  people  that  access  to  the  second  story  was  very  diffi- 
cult. They  even  thronged  the  stairs,  and  pressed  close  to  the  door  of  the  hall,  where 
policemen  were  stationed  as  a  guard.  On  the  arrival  of  each  body  the  surging  crowd 
divided,  and  it  was  conveyed  within. 

The  Temporary  Hospital. 

The  main  hall  was  converted  into  a  temporary  hospital,  and  to  this  were  immedi- 
ately sent  mattresses,  blankets,  and  sheets,  bandages,  cordials,  and  medicines,  from 
every  direction.  The  ladies  of  the  vicinity  promptly  contributed  beds  and  blankets, 
and  druggists  liberal  supplies  from  the  contents  of  their  stores.  The  settees  were 
cleared  from  the  floor,  and  piled  in  tiers  along  the  walls.  Next  to  these  were 
placed  rows  of  mattresses,  arranged  in  close  proximity  on  three  sides  of  the  hall,  and 
upon  them  the  wounded  were  carefully  laid  as  they  were  brought  in.  The  platform  at 
the  head  of  the  hall  was  used  as  a  dispensary.  At  half  an  hour  past  midnight,  scarcely 
a  mattress  was  untenanted,  and  the  groans  of  fifty-four  wounded  persons  were  mingling 
with  the  heart-rending  cries  of  relatives  and  friends.  But  few,  except  those  whose  pres- 
ence was  necessary  to  the  suffering  and  dying,  were  admitted  to  the  room,  A  large  num- 
ber of  physicians  were  in  attendance  on  the  wounded,  while  others,  exhausted  with 
continual  watching,  working,  and  waiting,  over  broken  limbs  and  bruised  bodies,  reclined 
on  a  vacant  mattress  for  a  brief  rest.  Many  whom  years  of  practice  might  have  ex- 
cused from  sensitiveness  to  the  sufferings  of  others,  performed  their  offices  with  tearful 
eyes,  and  all  worked  with  compassionate  countenances,  and  the  gentleness  of  sympa- 
thetic natures.  Some  of  the  sufferers  were  groaning  in  agony,  some  were  wild  with 
delirium  in  the  last  moment;  others  quietly  breathed  their  last,  or  bore  their  suffering  in 
silence.  Everywhere  was  blood,  bruises,  and  broken  limbs.  Nearly  every  one  of  the 
wounded  here  had  a  leg  or  an  arm  broken.  To  one  unacquainted  with  the  scenes  of 
the  dead-house  or  the  hospital  the  spectacle  was  loathsome,  sickening,  horrible.  But 
the  painful  cries  of  the  wounded  were  overshadowed  by  the  dreadful  mental  anguish  of 
their  heart-stricken  friends.  Nearly  every  couch  was  the  centre  of  a  little  circle  of 
weeping  ones ;  and  where  the  approach  of  the  Angel  of  Death  was  denoted  by  the 
pallid,  countenance,  the  glassy  eye,  and  the  shortened  breath,  those  who  had  assuaged 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  13 

their  grief  by  performing  kind  offices  for  the  dying,  now  that  they  were  no  longer  neces- 
sary, gave  themselves  up  to  paroxysms  of  grief.  And  after  the  eye  was  closed  in 
death,  and  the  pulse  which  had  beat  with  uncertain  motion  was  still,  and  the  voice  silent 
forever,  when  the  awful  sense  of  their  bereavement  came  upon  them,  their  cries  seemed 
frantic,  and  the  intensity  of  their  grief  so  overpowering,  that  others  were  urged  to  restrain 
by  force  the  violent  demonstrations  of  their  wild  despair.  In  passing  around  the  hall, 
gleaning  from  the  most  calm  and  collected,  the  first  details  of  the  dreadful  catastrophe, 
scenes  which  were  enough  to  move  the  heart  of  the  most  impassive,  were  constantly 
meeting  the  eye. 

On  one  pallet  lay  a  little  girl,  with  a  beautiful  pale  countenance,  knit  with  the  suffer- 
ing she  could  not  conceal,  yet  unmurmuring.  She  was  watched  over  by  her  weeping 
father,  and  all  hearts  thrilled  in  sympathy  with  his,  as  the  physician  announced  his  hope 
that  she  might  recover.  Frail  hope !  An  hour  later,  she  was  heard  gasping  for  breath, 
and  bidding  adieu,  in  whispering  accents,  to  those  about  her,  for,  as  death  approached, 
her  consciousness  was  unimpaired,  and  her  heart-broken  father  could  treasure  up  as  his 
only  consolation,  that  she  died  in  his  arms,  and  was  not  afraid  of  death.  Her  angelic 
countenance  as  she  breathed  her  last  will  be  a  living  picture  in  the  memories  of  those 
who  stood  about  her,  and  will  soften  with  its  serenity  the  recollections  of  that  night  of 
death. 

On  another  was  a  young  woman,  at  times  unconscious,  and  again  crying  for  that 
assistance  which  nothing  but  death  could  render.  She  had  several  broken  bones,  a 
fractured  skull,  and  severe  internal  injuries.  She  could  not  move  without  intense  pain, 
and  her  sufferings  drew  tears  from  the  eyes  of  all  who  saw  her  face,  and  the  agony 
depicted  upon  it.  Half  a  dozen  disconsolate  friends  were  about  her  weeping,  for  the 
physicians  said  she  must  die,  and  their  prayers  ascended  that  her  misery  might  be 
shortened,  and  relief  from  pain  be  given,  even  in  the  end  of  life.  Their  petitions  were 
not  long  unanswered. 

On  one  side  of  the  hall,  with  their  couches  near  each  other,  lay  three  j-oung  girls,  all 
dying.  Their  pain  had  ceased,  and  two  were  sleeping,  while  the  third  gazed  about  her 
as  if  unconscious  of  the  reality,  and  trying  to  fathom  the  mystery  of  the  scene.  An  hour 
later  and  her  spirit  had  fled,  while  one  of  her  companions  was  also  quiet  in  her  last 
sleep. 

But  the  most  affecting  sight  of  all  was  that  of  a  poor  German,  who  was  dreadfully 
injured.  No  mother's  hand  smoothed  his  pillow,  no  brother  nor  sister  nor  friend  was 
near,  to  cheer  him  in  his  hour  of  pain  and  trouble.  He  was  insensible  to  what  was 
passing  around  him  but  not  unconscious  of  suffering,  and  his  incoherent  ravings  touched 
the  hearts  of  all.  His  fate  was  uncertain,  for  the  crisis  had  not  come.  At  a  later  hour 
a  little  German  lad  found  him,  and  with  his  young  heart  affected  by  the  desolate  con- 
dition of  his  countryman,  nursed  him  with  a  devotion  which  spoke  volumes  for  his  love 
of  fatherland,  and  his  tenderness  for  others'  sufferings. 

Many  were  there  whose  homes  were  far  away,  and  whose  relatives  had  not  been 
apprised  of  their  condition.  But  they  found  true  friends  in  that  hour  of  need.  Young 
women  and  matrons,  like  ministering  angels,  hovered  around  them,  cheered  them  with 
hopeful  words,  and  assisted  the  labors  of  the  physicians  with  all  of  woman's  gentleness 
and  skill.  Through  that  night  they  watched  and  labored,  closing  the  eyes  of  the 
dying,  and  aiding  those  who  lived. 

Soon  after  the  building  fell,  and  the  great  number  of  the  wounded  became  apparent, 
despatches  were  sent  to  neighboring  towns  and  cities  for  medical  aid,  and,  generally, 
liberal  response  was  made  immediately.  Twenty-two  physicians  came  from  Lowell,  ten 
from  Haverhill,  six  from  Manchester,  two  from  Bradford,  and  two  from  Methuen,  and  one 


14  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

from  Deny,  N.  II.,  and  one  from  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  who  were  passing  in  the  care, 
stopped  and  volunteered  their  services.  Every  member  of  the  medical  profession  in 
Lawrence,  also  went  to  the  aid  of  the  sufferers.  During  the  succeeding  forenoon  several 
physicians  arrived  from  Boston,  and  many  others  from  surrounding  towns.  Some  of 
these  took  the  places  of  those  who  had  been  earlier  on  the  ground,  and  whose  presence 
was  required  by  patients  at  home.  When  the  condition  of  all  the.  wounded  had  been 
made  comparatively  comfortable,  and  it  had  been  ascertained  that  such  as  remained  in 
the  ruins  were  dead,  and  not  before,  they  were  left  to  the  attentions  of  the  Lawrence 
physicians. 

The  agonizing  scenes  of  the  following  forenoon  cannot  be  described  to  the  reader,  — 
only  those  who  viewed  them  can  comprehend  them.  During  the  early  part  of  the  day, 
all  of  the  wounded,  and  nearly  all  of  the  dead,  were  removed  to  the  places  where  they 
had  boarded.  The  recognition  of  friends,  or  the  failure  to  find  them,  caused  the  most 
violent  outpourings  of  grief.  The  corridors  and  stairways  were  crowded  all  the  day- 
Men  and  women  pushed  each  other  in  frantic  excitement,  and  the  shrill  cries  of  the 
women  mingled  with  the  deep  groans  and  sobs  of  sturdy  men.  Perhaps  the  most  pain- 
ful of  all  was  the  emotion  of  fine-looking  New  England  matrons,  from  the  distant 
country  towns,  who  had  sons  or  daughters  in  the  fated  mill.  Coming  to  the  City  Hall, 
they  found  the  wounded  removed.  All  of  the  officers  who  had  charge  of  the  room 
were  busy,  and  were  Hying  in  every  direction.  "  Where  are  those  who  were  wounded  V  " 
was  the  continual  question.  They  were  scattered  to  their  various  boarding-places,  and 
there  they  were  sought.  Too  often  kind  and  loving  fathers  and  mothers  were  denied 
the  sad  consolation  of  finding  their  beloved  ones  among  the  wounded,  or  even  among 
the  dead.  A  fate  still  worse  had  been  suffered  by  many  of  these ;  and  then  the  flood 
of  grief  was  terrible  indeed.  Every  chance  of  hope  was  eagerly  seized  upon,  until  the 
inquirers  found  those  they  sought  in  the  list  of  the  wounded  or  dead,  or  failed  to 
find  them  at  all,  and  the  number  of  those  whose  investigations  ended  only  in  despair, 
wa3  large  enough  to  excite  the  minds  of  all  with  pitying  sorrow. 

The    Bead-Room. 

A  large  room  on  one  corner  of  the  hall  had  been  set  apart  as  a  principal  depository 
for  the  bodies  of  the  dead  not  identified,  and  this  was  literally  covered  with  mangled 
corpses.  Men  and  women,  old  and  young,  lay  there,  a  ghastly  sight  to  behold.  Twenty- 
seven  bodies  had  been  earned  there,  and  nearly  all  presented  a  spectacle  of  frightful 
wounds  and  bruises,  and  showed  signs  of  painful  death.  A  few  only  of  the  faces  were 
calm  and  placid.  They  lay  as  they  had  been  recovered  from  the  ruins,  some  nearly 
naked  and  covered  with  blood,  or  blackened  with  the  dirt  and  smoke.  The  faces  of 
many  were  so  disfigured,  that  humanity  demanded  they  should  not  be  exposed.  An- 
other room  below,  when  this  was  filled,  was  used  as  an  additional  receptacle. 

The  scenes  at  these  rooms  were  dreadful,  as  people  congregated  in  large  numbers  to 
recognize  their  friends.  Many  fainted  at  the  sad  discoveries  they  made,  and  many 
others  seemed  heart-broken  ;  from  the  upper  room  to  the  crowd  below,  came  one  con- 
tinual wail.  At  frequent  intervals,  conversation  was  hushed  as  the  lamentations  of 
bereaved  mothers,  widows,  and  sisters,  broke  upon  the  ear. 

During  the  day  succeeding  the  disaster,  the  bodies  were  removed  from  the  upper 
room  to  the  one  on  the  lower  floor,  where  were  taken  for  identification  all  those  which 
were  subsequently  recovered,  and  here  were  continued  for  several  days  all  those  scenes 
of  anguish  which  were  consequent  upon  the  recognition  of  bodies.  As  fast  as  the  dead 
were  recognized,  they  were  removed  by  friends,  or  taken  to  the  receiving  vault  at  the 
cemetery. 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  15 

THRILLING     INCIDENTS. 

In  connection  with  the  Lawrence  calamity,  more  thrilling  incidents  are  told  than  of 
any  thing  in  New  England,  since  the  Revolution.  These  in  part  will  fill  out  our  narra- 
tive of  the  fate  of  the  mill  and  its  dreadful  consequences,  and  as  they  pertain  to  the 
scenes  at  the  ruins  and  at  the  City  Hall,  we  give  them  a  place  here.  The  awful 
grandeur  of  the  scene  of  the  catastrophe,  the  suffering  of  the  wounded,  and  the  an- 
guish of  their  friends,  will  best  appear  in  these  detailed  incidents,  most  of  which  have 
been  printed  in  the  Boston  papers,  and  are  principally  from  the  Journal  and  Traveller. 
Only  those  are  given  which  have  been  well  authenticated,  as  we  believe  there  is  no  ne- 
cessity of  drawing  upon  the  imagination  where  there  is  so  much  that  is  thrilling  and 
tragical. 

A  rumor  was  spread  through  the  town  at  noon,  on  the  Thursday  succeeding  the  ac- 
cident, that,  an  hour  before,  a  man  had  been  rescued  from  the  ruins,  alive  and  compara- 
tively unhurt,  so  that  he  walked  away  joyfully  to  his  abode.  Several  men  of  undoubted 
integrity  circulated  the  story  with  a  degree  of  candor  and  earnestness  which  com- 
manded respect  and  fed  the  great  spirit  of  wonder.  The  affair  was  talked  all  over  the 
town.  The  story  changed,  and  the  rescued  one  was  a  woman.  After  the  most  patient 
investigation,  there  could  be  found  no  semblance  of  truth  in  the  story,  or  any  thing  for 
its  foundation.  Those  who  started  it  must  have  made  up  their  judgment  from  a  distant 
point  of  view,  or  else  they  were  imposed  upon.  Another  rumor  reigned  for  a  while 
that  a  hand  was  seen  waving  from  a  hole  in  a  standing  chimney,  and  that  a  man  was 
subsequently  rescued  therefrom,  having  entered  the  chimney  through  a  flue,  and 
climbed  an  iron  ladder  on  the  inside.  These  reports  doubtless  arose  from  imaginations 
laboring  under  a  high  degree  of  excitement 

Thus  many  rumors  arose  from  the  excitement  of  the  people,  founded  neither  on  fact 
nor  probability ;  such  as  we  can  vouch  for,  we  have  collected  here. 

Attempted  Suicide  of  an  Overseer. 

Among  the  sufferers  in  the  ruins  at  the  time  the  fire  commenced  was  Maurice  Palmer, 
of  Rochester,  N.  H.,  an  overseer.  He  was  much  beloved  by  his  friends,  and  while  the 
digging  was  going  on  his  voice  was  recognized.  He  was  nearly  reached  when  the 
flames  broke  out.  He  implored  his  friends  to  save  him  quickly,  or  he  should  die. 
They  struggled  to  reach  him,  but  the  flames  swept  around  them.  He  was  confined  and 
could  not  resist  them.  As  the  heat  of  the  fire  began  to  be  felt,  his  horrible  death  seemed 
inevitable.  He  was  able  to  move  one  hand  and  drew  his  knife,  saying  he  should  com- 
mit suicide  rather  than  burn  to  death.  His  rescuers  pressed  on,  but  his  hope  of  aid 
gave  out,  and  he  drew  his  knife  across  his  throat.  Soon  after,  they  succeeded  in  remov- 
ing him,  and  his  self-inflicted  wound  was  found  not  to  be  dangerous,  but  he  had  suffered 
severe  internal  injuries  which  rendered  his  recovery  impossible.  He  was  taken  to  the 
City  Hall,  but  expired  shortly  after  from  the  effects  of  the  wounds  received  by  his  fall, 
and  his  sufferings  while  immured  within  the  fallen  walls. 

Coolness  in  Danger. 

Some  exhibitions  of  heroism  and  presence  of  mind  accompanied  the  spectacle  of  the 
excited  multitude.  Miss  Olive  Bridges,  of  Calais,  Me.,  who  worked  in  the  fifth  story, 
seized  the  hoisting  chain  of  the  elevator,  and  went  safely  down  five  stories  to  the  ground, 
and  escaped  from  the  building  without  injury.  Through  the  whole  night  she  was  at  the 
City  Hall,  passing  like  an  angel  of  mercy  among  the  couches  of  the  sufferers,  anticipate 


16  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

ing  every  want,  relieving  pain,  and  breathing  words  of  comfort  and  consolation  to  the 
wounded  and  dying.  Several  others  saved  themselves  by  the  same  means,  performing 
feats  which  for  coolness  in  danger  did  them  infinite  credit. 

Thrilling  Experience. 

Henry  Nice,  a  brother  of  Thomas  Nice,  whose  wife  was  killed  in  the  ruins,  relates  an 
interesting  narrative  of  his  experience.  He  was  employed  in  the  boiler-house,  and  at 
the  moment  of  the  disaster  was  engaged  in  putting  a  wick  into  a  lamp.  lie  heard  a 
noise  which  he  cannot  describe,  and  stood  up  for  an  instant,  when  he  was  struck  ou  the 
shoulder  by  a  heavy  article.  He  thrust  himself  head  foremost  against  a  door  opening 
outwards,  and  fell  into  the  porch,  the  door  and  the  space  about  him  being  instantly  filled 
with  brick,  and  his  body  confined  to  the  most  uncomfortable  limits.  A  cloud  of  steam 
and  dust  penetrated  the  debris  and  nearly  suffocated  him,  but  by  almost  superhuman 
efforts  he  succeeded  in  digging  a  passage  through  the  ruin  and  reaching  a  place  of  secu- 
rity. Instead  of  fleeing  from  the  scene  of  the  disaster,  he  turned  back  to  rescue  those 
still  living.  Upon  the  floor  of  the  card-room  he  found  a  girl,  who  boarded  at  No.  5 
Pemberton  Corporation,  who  subsequently  informed  her  rescuer  that  she  was  alone  in 
this  country,  but  had  a  mother  in  Ireland.  A  piece  of  shafting  lay  across  her  neck,  her 
knee  was  seriously  lacerated,  and  the  rim  of  a  "  roping  can  "  Avas  pressing  into  her  back. 
Nice  obtained  a  saw,  and  cutting  away  the  boards  and  timbers  from  under  her,  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  her  borne  away  to  a  place  of  safety.  He  then  continued  the 
work  of  rescuing  his  unfortunate  companions.  Darius  Nash,  the  third  hand  in  the  spin- 
ning-room, fell  with  the  factory.  Nice  heard  him  scream  for  help,  and  creeping  on  his 
hands  and  knees  amid  the  tangled  ruins,  he  found  Nash  and  a  young  girl  lying  close 
together.  The  latter  was  cheerful,  and  urged  Nice  to  remove  her  companion  first,  as  he 
was  lying  on  her  leg,  being  confined  there  by  a  spinning  frame  which  rested  on  his  side. 
Nice  thrust  a  strip  of  board  through  a  hole  above  him,  which  attracted  the  notice  of 
others,  who  cut  a  hole  in  the  floor,  through  which  Nash  was  drawn,  badly  hurt.  Every 
effort  was  made  to  remove  the  machinery  which  imprisoned  the  heroic  girl,  without 
avail ;  and  the  fire  sweeping  over  the  spot,  her  young  life  went  out  amid  the  scorching 
heat. 

Miraculous  Escape  of  a  Little  Girl. 

On  Tuesday  evening,  before  the  fire  broke  out,  while  two  thousand  men  were  exert- 
ing every  energy  in  rescuing  the  survivors  from  their  living  sepulchres,  and  the  dead 
from  the  rubbish  which  buried  them,  a  party  came  upon  the  body  of  a  little  girl.  She 
lay  apparently  crushed  beneath  a  ponderous  block  of  iron,  weighing  over  a  thousand 
pounds,  and  which  covered  her  body  to  her  chin ;  her  back  was  pressed  against  a  huge 
timber,  one  of  her  arms  was  thrust  to  the  elbow  through  a  ring  in  a  piece  of  machinery, 
and  she  was  completely  wedged  in  by  heavy  iron  gearing.  Intent  only  on  preserving 
her  features  and  form  as  little  disfigured  as  possible,  the  men  labored  carefully  to  re- 
move the  block  of  iron  without  crushing  her  still  further.  Four  of  them  tugged  upon 
it,  but  could  not  stir  it.  After  they  had  made  several  ineffectual  attempts,  a  stalwart 
and  athletic  man,  in  passing,  caught  hold  of  it,  and  with  marvellous  power,  aided  by  the 
excitement  which  the  scene  produced  upon  him,  he  succeeded  in  loosening  it.  The 
other  rubbish  was  then  removed,  and  the  body  taken  out,  when,  what  was  the  surprise 
and  joy  of  the  men  to  find  that  they  had  rescued  a  living  girl  instead  of  a  corpse,  and 
more,  that  her  injuries  were  not  fatal,  but  comparatively  trifling.  The  heavy  iron  had 
met  with  some  more  powerful  obstruction  than  her  body,  and  her  life  was  spared  as  if 
by  a  miracle.     Had  the  pressure  upon  her  body  been  but  slightly  increased,  or  had  the 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  17 

least  carelessness  been  allowed  in  extricating  her,  she  would  have  been  another  added 
to  the  list  of  victims. 

Singular  Recovery  of  a  Woman. 

In  another  spot  near  by,  and  at  about  the  same  time,  the  body  of  a  woman  was  extri- 
cated from  the  ruins  by  some  of  her  relatives  and  friends.  The  bricks  and  iron  had 
buried  her  so  tightly  that  no  hopes  were  entertained  of  her  life,  and  when  the  body  was 
at  last  drawn  out,  the  little  circle  of  friends  found  their  worst  fears  confirmed.  Her 
husband  took  her  carefully  in  his  arms,  and,  with  a  heart  throbbing  with  grief,  bore  her 
towards  his  home.  A  number  of  relatives  were  there  awaiting  her,  and,  when  they  saw 
her  lifeless  form,  cried  out  in  sorrow.  Suddenly,  the  woman  revived,  and  throwing  up 
her  hand,  cried  out,  " Tm  safe —  I'm  safe!"  She  was  received  as  one  risen  from  the 
dead. 

A  Husband  finds  his  Wife. 

Thomas  Nice  recognized  the  body  of  his  wife  by  a  ring  she  wore  on  her  finger.  He 
had  searched  anxiously  for  her  body,  as  her  name  was  in  the  list  of  missing.  A  charred 
and  misshapen  mass  brought  into  the  room  of  the  dead  he  examined,  as  he  examined 
all.  Upon  a  bone,  in  the  clasped  skeleton  of  the  hand  he  found  a  ring ;  upon  it  was 
engraved  his  own  name.  It  had  been  presented  by  him  to  his  wife  on  their  happy  bridal- 
day.  When  he  found  this  sure  token,  his  sad  consolation  triumphed  for  a  moment  over 
his  burning  sorrow.  He  waved  his  hands  aloft,  and  cried  for  joy.  Looking  again  upon 
the  blackened  corpse,  his  loss  fell,  as  it  seemed,  with  a  deadening  weight  upon  his  soul, 
and  all  was  changed.  He  fell  upon  his  attendants,  venting  the  wildest  grief;  nothing 
could  command  his  attention  beside,  and  he  was  borne  from  the  room  raving  wild  as  a 
maniac,  exhibiting  a  feeling  as  strong  as  could  be  pictured  by  the  most  extravagant  im- 
agination. 

A  Mother  finds  her  Daughter. 

Mrs.  Barrett,  wife  of  James  Barrett,  of  Lawrence,  had  lost  a  child.  She,  too,  was  a 
frequent  visitor  at  the  dead-house.  Saturday  afternoon  she  came,  accompanied  by  a 
younger  daughter,  bringing  a  miniature  likeness  of  the  lost.  The  miniature  represented 
the  features  of  a  young  lady  of  unusual  personal  attractions.  A  lively  beauty  danced 
in  her  youthful,  fresh,  afnd  rosy  face ;  an  expression  of  a  nature  almost  angelic  beamed 
in  her  eyes.  With  this,  the  mother  and  sister  came  seeking  the  original  among  the  dead. 
The  lost  one  was  found,  but  the  fair  face  was  burned  away,  the  lithe  and  graceful  form 
was  now  a  shapeless  trunk,  which  was  recognized  only  by  the  fabric  of  the  dress  she 
wore,  a  small  part  of  which  was  not  destroyed.  The  mother  threw  herself  on  the  re- 
mains ;  she  aroused  herself  and  gazed  upon  the  miniature,  and  from  that  her  eyes  again 
wandered  to  the  remains  of  her  child.  She  fainted,  and  was  borne  away.  Those  pres- 
ent turned  away  heart-sick.  Those  who  had  stood  firm  through  all  until  now,  melted 
until  their  sympathy  gushed  out  in  tears  that  fell  like  summer  rain. 

A  Sister  finds  her  Brother. 

Among  the  missing  first  reported  was  James  Harry.  He  came  from  New  York 
nearly  a  year  before  the  accident,  accompanied  by  his  only  sister  —  his  only  relative  in 
America.  They  had  long  lived  for  each  other  alone.  His  form  below  the  head  was 
found  to  be  perfect  in  death,  only  the  flesh  was  literally  roasted  by  the  fierce  heat.  His 
body  was  recognized  by  a  key  and  portcmonnaie  in  his  pocket ;  added  to  this  evidence, 
his  boot  was  pulled  oil',  and  upon  his  stocking  was  found  his  initial  letter,  which  had  been 
3 


18  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

carefully  threaded  there  by  his  dear  sister,  who  now  sought  him,  and  thus  found  him  in 
her  despair.  The  trunk  of  the  deceased  was  taken  to  the  City  Hall,  and  the  key  found 
in  his  pocket  fitted  the  lock.  To  add  to  the  grief  of  the  sister,  while  it  proved  again 
that  the  vilest  depravity  can  exist  among  the  most  awful  scenes,  the  trunk  was  broken 
open  by  some  villain  while  it  remained  at  the  City  Hall,  and  all  that  was  practically 
valuable,  as  well  as  all  that  was  highly  prized  as  sacred  mementos,  was  stolen  from  it. 

Mourning  Mothers. 

For  several  days  after  the  accident,  a  body  had  laid  in  the  dead-room  for  identifica- 
tion. It  was  at  last  placed  in  a  coffin,  and  a  little  after,  Mrs.  Burke,  a  woman  about 
forty  years  of  age,  begged  to  see  the  body.  She  had  long  been  inquiring  for  a  missing 
daughter,  named  Mary  Burke,  seventeen  years  of  age.  She  had  a  piece  of  the  dres3 
her  daughter  wore  into  the  mill  on  the  day  of  the  accident.  It  was  compared  with  the 
fragments  of  the  dress  brought  in  with  the  remains,  but  the  latter  was  so  faded  that, 
though  a  resemblance  was  fancied,  it  was  not  deemed  positive  proof  of  identity.  The 
woman  then  brought  in  her  husband,  Andrew  Burke,  and  this  time  a  comparison  of  the 
fragments  proved  the  identity  beyond  a  doubt.  As  soon  as  this  was  established,  the 
poor  woman  uttered  a  cry,  half  of  anguish  and  half  of  joy,  and  falling  at  once  on  her 
knees,  implored  "  the  blessing  of  God  on  the  kind,  good  gentlemen  "  who  had  been  so 
good  to  the  "  Christians,"  and  that  they  might  "  have  the  gates  of  Paradise  opened  to 
them."  Then  she  fell  on  her  knees  before  the.  blackened  pile,  mourning  in  the  wildest 
agony.  "O  my  Mary,  my  Mary! "she  cried;  "I  have  murdered  you  —  I  have  mur- 
dered you!  ()  God,  forgive  me  for  ever  coming  to  America!  Oh,  forgive  me,  my 
darling  daughter ! "  Her  wild  paroxysms  of  grief  had  long  continued  in  this  strain, 
and  the  increasing  crowd  was  urgent  that  the  mother  should  be  removed.  Then 
she  bent  upon  her  knees  before  the  keeper  of  the  room,  and  begged  him  to  handle  care- 
fully the  remains  of  her  daughter,  and  to  send  them  to  her  in  a  coffin.  The  keeper 
promised  again  and  again,  and  the  anguish-stricken  mother  was  taken  from  the  room, 
moaning  in  that  low,  despairing  tone  which  comes  only  from  a  soul  fearfully  racked  by 
grief.  She  subsequently  returned  and  seated  herself  despairingly  by  the  side  of  her 
daughter's  coffin,  refusing  to  be  comforted. 

Female   Firemen. 

The  women  of  Lawrence,  heroines  in  every  sphere  during  the  fearful  scones  of  the 
hour,  won  laurels  in  the  fire  department,  also.  When,  after  hours  of  extreme  exer- 
tion, the  firemen,  worn  down  and  quite  exhausted,  called  for  help,  a  bevy  of  ladies  who 
were  standing  on  the  sidewalk  in  Canal  Street,  flew  over  to  the  engines,  and,  "man- 
ning" the  brakes,  worked  the  machine  amid  the  cheers  of  the  firemen. 

Roasted  Alive. 

One  of  the.  engineers  of  the  fire  department  related  the  following :  When  the  fire 
was  beginning  to  rage,  and  before  it  had  stilled  the  cries  and  groans  of  those  in  the  ruins, 
he,  with  others,  forced  his  way  against  the  smoke  and  flame,  to  try  and  rescue  some  of 
those  whose  voices  he  could  hear.  Suddenly,  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  three  persons,  im- 
prisoned by  a  crumbled  partition  —  two  men  and  a  woman.  lie  even  seized  one  of  the 
men  by  the  hand,  and  hoped  to  draw  him  out,  but  the  crackling  of  the  flames  around 
him,  and  the  warning  voice  of  an  officer,  impelled  him  reluctantly  to  desist,  and  by  a 
timely  retreat  to  save  his  own  life.  Neither  of  the  three  persons  appeared  injured  at  all, 
and  they  must  have  literally  roasted  alive. 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  19 

A  Child's  Heroism. 

On  the  night  of  the  accident,  a  little  daughter  of  James  Bannon,  ten  years  old.  was  in 
the  ruins,  and  the  flames  were  coming.  She  was  pinned  fast  by  the  ruins,  and  could 
not  be  rescued.  She  took  her  pay  bill  from  her  pocket  and  handed  it  to  another  girl 
near  her,  and  said  :  "  You  will  be  saved,  I  shall  not ;  give  this  to  my  poor  father  and  bid 
him  good-by  for  me." 

Kescue  of  Two  Girls. 

Amon<j  the  ruins,  an  opening  in  a  portion  of  the  floor  was  shown  which  is  a  witness  to  the 
poble  conduct  of  Mr.  Fox,  of  the  Washington  Corporation,  and  another  gentleman  ;  while 
the  fire  was  spreading  from  the  place  where  it  caught,  they  were  actively  engaged  in 
the  labor  of  rescuing  persons,  and  trying  to  extinguish  the  flames,  when  they  heard  cries 
issuing  from  the  basement  story,  near  the  centre  of  the  south  side  of  the  building.  On 
proceeding  there,  they  found  that  two  girls,  in  the  basement,  entirely  uninjured,  had 
been  blocked  in  by  the  ruins  about  them.  They  tried  in  vain  to  gain  access  to  the  place 
where  they  were  confined,  and  as  the  flames  were  rapidly  approaching,  a  death  of  torture 
seemed  before  the  poor  unfortunates,  whose  piteous  cries  greeted  their  ears.  Finally, 
they  procured  a  saw,  and  after  persevering  labor  succeeded  in  cutting  a  hole  through 
the  solid  floor,  and  extricating  them  from  it. 

A  Missionary  in  the  Buins. 

The  following  paragraph  describes  the  heroic  calmness  of  a  young  lady  in  the  ruins, 
which  deserves  especial  mention  : — 

She  is  a  girl  of  more  than  ordinary  capacity,  and  the  most  unassuming  piety.  She 
worked  in  the  mill,  and  her  mother  worked  with  her.  On  the  day  of  the  accident  the 
mother  left  the  mill  in  the  afternoon,  as  her  work  had  given  out,  regretting  her  loss  of 
time.  A  short  time  after,  she  heard  the  terrible  alarm.  She  ran  to  the  mill  filled  with 
anxiety  for  her  daughter.  No  heart  beat  more  wildly  in  the  conflict  of  hope  and  des- 
pair. After  a  half-hour,  which  seemed  an  age,  the  daughter  was  found,  taken  from  the 
ruins,  and  restored  to  her  mother,  almost  uninjured.  The  joy  of  the  meeting  relieved 
the  prolonged  anxiety  of  the  mother.  Her  strength,  which  had  been  nerved  by  excite- 
ment, sank  when  she  found  her  daughter  safe.  On  receiving  and  returning  the  wild 
embrace  of  her  mother,  the  girl  exclaimed,  with  sparkling  eyes  and  an  expression  almost 
angelic,  "  O  mother,  I  have  been  so  happy  ! "  She  had  looked  forward  to  death  with- 
out fear,  even  with  a  joy  she  had  never  known.  A  second  hand  and  several  others 
were  in  the  ruins  near  her.  They  had  fallen  from  the  fifth  story,  and  were  penned  in 
by  the  machinery  and  timbers,  expecting  every  moment  that  the  roof  would  settle 
upon  and  crush  them.  Quite  a  number  were  near  her,  many  of  them  wounded, 
and  some  of  them  in  the  agonies  of  death.  Yet  after  this  shock  and  its  terrifying  effect, 
while  death  seemed  near  and  certain,  the  young  girl  was  self-possessed  and  calm.  She 
exhorted  those  around  her  to  prepare  for  death,  losing  no  time  and  lacking  no  earnest- 
ness, when  time  and  persuasion  were  so  precious.  She  continued  in  this  way,  forgetting 
all  thoughts  of  life,  and  preaching  repentance  until  she  was  discovered  by  those  who 
were  searching  among  the  ruins,  and  borne  away.  These  facts,  which  the  Christian 
heroine  was  too  modest  to  tell,  are  well  authenticated  by  those  who  were  near  her 
when  she  was  in  the  ruins,  and  when  she  met  her  mother. 

A  Brother  finds  his  Sister. 
A  brother  of  Lucinda  Gilson,  one  of  the  operatives  buried  in  the  ruins,  having  missed 


20  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

his  sister,  brought  to  the  keeper  in  charge  of  the  dead-room,  a  fragment  of  the  skirt 
which  she  had  on  when  last  seen  alive.  The  keeper  compared  the  sample  with  a 
Scorched  patch  of  clothing  found  upon  a  body  recently  deposited  in  the  dead-room.  Jt 
was  found  to  correspond,  and  upon  the  strength  of  this  evidence,  the  sorrowing  brother 
claimed  the  distorted  and  charred  remains  of  one  whom  he  had  so  lately  seen  in  the  full 
vigor  of  health. 

Saved  by  Mutilation. 

One  girl  who  was  at  work  in  the  second  story,  had  two  fingers  caught  in  the  machin- 
ery. In  an  agony  of  despair  she  literally  tore  them  off,  and  crawled  out  through  an 
opening  in  the  ruins,  stripping  her  clothes  completely  from  her  body.  Her  hip  was 
badly  injured.  Her  companion,  who  escaped  through  the  same  opening,  was  dread 
fully  bruised  and  scorched.  A  few  days  after,  the  fingers  were  found  by  the  workmen 
and  transmitted  to  the  girl  who  had  spared  them  for  her  life. 

A   Boy's    Assistance. 

A  "  filling  "  boy  named  John  Shaw,  was  at  work  in  the  lower  weave-room  when  the 
mill  fell.  lie  soon  extricated  himself  from  the  ruins,  and  looking  back,  he  saw  the  hand  , 
of  Amanda  Neal  thrust  through  an  aperture.  He  succeeded  in  rescuing  her,  with  only 
her  stockings  on  her  feet.  She  complained  that  she  could  not  walk  upon  the  snow ; 
whereupon*,  lie  told  her  she  should  be  thankful  that  she  had  her  feet  left  to  walk  upon. 
Shaw  saved  two  other  girls,  sisters,  named  Thompson,  cousins  of  Miss  Neal,  who  in- 
formed him  of  their  peril. 

Presentiments  of  Danger. 

That  a  fear  of  the  insecurity  of  the  mill  audits  impending  ruin  had  existed  in  the 
minds  of  some  of  the  operatives,  appears  from  a  conversation  which  occurred  on  Thurs- 
day prior  to  the  accident  in  the  weaving-room  over  the  cotton-house.  On  that  (lay, 
the  weather  being  stormy,  Miss  Maria  S.  Yeaton  inquired  anxiously  of  Mr.  Albert  Moses, 
one  of  the  overseers,  if  he  thought  there  would  be  a  freshet.  "  Why  do  you  ask  ?  "  said 
Mr.  Moses.  "  Because,"  replied  the  lady,  "we  are  always  afraid  of  the  big  mill  (mean- 
ing the  main  building),  when  the  water  is  high." 

A  girl  named  Mary  Desnev,  from  Anderson,  Scotland,  at  the  urgent  solicitation  of  a 
Mrs.  Kendriek,  visited  the  Pemberton  Mill  on  the  day  of  the  disaster,  inquest  of  employ- 
ment. The  overseer  whom  they  were  desirous  to  see,  was  not  to  be  found,  and  Miss 
Desney,  struck  with  a  fearful  presentiment  of  impending  danger,  hastened  from  the 
building,  leaving  it  about  ten  minutes  before  the  disaster. 

A  Girl's  Experience. 

A  girl  named  Hannah  Fannasey,  thirteen  years  of  age,  daughter  of  a  widow  living  at 
No.  87  Valley  Street,  was  at  work  in  the  spinning-room,  "  doffing,"  as  it  is  called. 
She  went  down  with  the  ruins,  and  was  not  rescued  until  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
She  relates  that  nine  men  were  about  her  when  the  fire  approached  the  spot  where  she 
lay.  All  but  three  of  the  men  were  driven  back  by  the  furious  flames.  These  men, 
Americans,  stood  by  her,  and  at  the  risk  of  their  own  lives  saved  her  from  a  fearful  end. 
She  had  a  brother,  nineteen  years  old,  who  worked  in  the  weaving-room.  When  the 
crash  came,  he  ran  to  the  window.  The  walls  fell  upon  and  buried  him,  though  he  cleared 
away  the  bricks  and  mortar,  and  jumped  clear  from  the  ruins.     But  in  attempting  to 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  21 

avoid  deatli  by  fire  lie  had  nearly  perished  by  water.  Running  across  the  railroad  track 
he  stumbled  into  the  canal,  from  which  he  finally  emerged  in  safety.  Impressed  with 
the  fate  of  his  sister,  he  went  back  to  the  ruins,  wet  and  shivering  as  he  was,  but  could 
not  find  her.  He  then  went  home,  sat  down,  and  wept.  His  sister  was  among  those 
who  were  saved  and  conveyed  to  the  City  Hall.  She  sustained  a  fracture  of  the  femur, 
and  suffered  much  at  first,  but  finally  recovered. 

Hope  and  Despair. 

One  man  found  two  young  women  in  a  comparatively  comfortable  position,  and  handed 
them  coffee,  with  the  cheering  assurance  that  in  fifteen  minutes  they  would  be  res- 
cued. But  alas  for  the  delusion  of  hope  !  The  fire  approached,  and  as  it  gradually 
neared  the  two  sufferers,  their  entreaties  to  be  saved  were  enough  to  make  the  stoutest 
heart  quail.  Men  redoubled  their  exertions,  but  in  vain  ;  the  flames  enveloped  the  poor 
creatures,  who  perished  before  the  eyes  of  their  would-be  deliverers. 

A  Grief-stricken  Group. 

The  following  paragraph  is  taken  from  a  daily  paper  soon  after  the  accident :  At  the 
foot  of  the  stairs  leading  to  the  upper  City  Hall,  sat  all  day  four  mourners,  all  females, 
awaiting  the  arrival  of  bodies  from  the  ruins.  Two  had  lost  a  daughter  each,  one  a 
sister,  and  the  fourth  a  cousin ;  and  all  that  has  been  discovered  of  the  latter  were  the 
shoes,  which  were  recognized  by  a  young  man  who  recently  put  heels  upon  them. 
Together  they  sat,  hour  after  hour,  pictures  of  despair.  Upon  the  arrival  of  a  body 
they  arose,  joined  the  eager  procession  that  marched  into  the  dead-room,  but  finding  no 
semblance  of  their  lost  ones,  they  returned  to  their  post  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  to  wait 
and  mourn  for  days. 

The  Last  One  Rescued. 

Mr.  Ira  D.  Locke  of  Deering,  N.  II.,  who  worked  in  the  weaving-room,  was  the  last  per- 
son rescued  alive  from  the  ruins;  he  was  not  taken  out  until  twelve  o'clock.  lie  was 
already  scorched  by  the  fire,  and  it  was  raging  so  fiercely  about  him  that  he  directed 
his  rescuers  not  to  risk  their  own  lives  for  his  safety.  His  resignation  prompted  to  new 
efforts.  He  lost  his  reason  soon  after  he  was  rescued,  and  remained  for  several  days  in 
a  critical  condition,  being  badly  burned. 

Incident  of  Self-sacrifice. 

When  the  accident  occurred,  Darius  Nash  and  Lizzie  Flint  were  at  work  near  each 
other  in  the  third  story.  The  former  looking  up  and  seeing  the  mill  at  the  southern 
end  falling,  exclaimed :  "  For  God's  sake,  let  us  go  to  the  lower  end  ! "  They  took  two 
steps  in  that  direction,  when  he  was  struck  on  the  shoulder  by  a  counter  shaft,  and  the 
two  went  down  together.  Miss  Flint  lay  upon  the  floor,  with  the  shoulder  of  Mr.  Nash, 
borne  down  by  the  shaft,  upon  her  leg  with  such  force  as  to  break  it.  His  head  rested 
in  her  lap ;  and  in  this  position  they  both  lay  for  several  hours.  She  untied  his  hand- 
kerchief and  loosened  his  collar.  She  complained  of  the  numbness  of  her  leg,  and  said 
she.  could  get  out  if  he  would  move  his  shoulder,  which  was  impossible,  the  pressure 
upon  it  being  so  great  as  to  burst  the  flesh  upon  the  ball  of  his  hand,  in  two  places.  She 
uttered  no  complaint,  but  when  help  arrived,  she  directed  them  where  to  woik,  saying 
to  Nash,  "  They'll  have  to  get  you  out  first."  While  the  men  were  at  work,  she  fainted, 
and  after  her  companion  was  rescued,  other  victims  in  the  vicinity  cried  for  assistance, 


22  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

which  probably  misled  them  from  the  spot  where  she.  lay,  and  over  which  the  remorse- 
less flames  soon  after  swept.  Miss  Flint  belonged  in  East  Pittsfield,  Me.  A  brother 
came  to  Lawrence  the  day  after  the  catastrophe,  and  sought  in  vain  for  his  lost  sister. 

Escape  of  the  Agent  and  Treasurer. 

John  E.  Chase,  agent  of  the  Company,  and  S.  G.  Howe,  the  treasurer,  were  passing 
through  the  mill  when  the  crash  was  heard.  They  rushed  into  the  wing  of  the  building, 
which  remained  standing.  In  passing  out  through  the  door,  Mr.  Howe  fell,  and  was 
trampled  on  by  several  behind  him  before  he  could  rise.  He  escaped,  however,  without 
injury. 

Statement  of  James  Tatterson. 

A  statement  was  procured  from  James  Tatterson  in  regard  to  the  fall  of  the  building. 
He  was  a  brother  of  Mr.  Tatterson,  who  was  overseer  of  the  weaving-room,  and 
was  employed  in  that  room,  where  he  had  been  about  a  fortnight.  He  was  standing 
near  the  south  end  of  the  building,  on  the  lower  floor,  and  was  talking  with  Mr.  Adams, 
the  second  hand  in  that  department,  when  the  first  crash  was  heard.  He  looked  up 
and  cried,  "  What's  thai  ?  "  The  floors  from  above  came  down,  but  the  one  he  stood  on 
seemed  to  remain  firm.  lie  jumped  for  the  door  at  the  south  end,  but  was  unable  to 
open  it,  owing  to  its  having  been  jammed  in  by  the  fall.  He  remembers  the  rest 
faintly,  but  he  cut  himself  out  in  about  twenty  minutes.  He  was  slightly  bruised 
about  the  head.  He  thinks  the  lower  floor  was  unmoved,  because  two  little  girls  near 
him  threw  themselves  under  the  looms  and  were  saved.  Mr.  Adams,  with  whom  he  was 
talking,  was  sawed  out  of  the  wreck  somewhat  more  severely  injured.  This  man,  after 
getting  out,  went  the  length  of  the  building  to  the  north  end,  and  there  found  his 
brother  getting  out  of  the  ruins. 

Statement  of  John  'Ward. 

John  Ward,  one  of  the  operatives  in  the  carding-room,  in  the  second  story,  was  mi- 
raculously saved,  with  his  wife,  who  worked  near  him  in  the  same  room.  We  give  his 
description  of  the  accident  and  escape  in  his  own  words:  "  I  was  in  the  carding-room 
with  the  second  overseer,  lighting  up.  It  was  five  or  ten  minutes  before  five;  o'rlock, 
and  we  had  got  but  few  burners  lighted.  Suddenly.  I  heard  a  noise  —  it  sounded  like  a 
loud,  thundering  crash  over  my  head,  and  looking  up,  I  saw  the  shafting  coming  down 
upon  us,  all  over  the  room.  I  could  not  account  for  it,  and  was  terrified.  I  stood 
nailed  to  the  spot,  and  did  not  seem  to  have  power  to  move,  although  I  knew  the 
building  was  coming  on  me.  Then  I  heard  the  overseer  shout,  and  I  tried  to  jump 
out  of  the  rubbish,  but  something  struck  me,  and  I  was  thrown  senseless.  I  did  not 
remain  so  long,  but  when  I  came  to,  I  found  myself  buried  in  the  rubbish,  and  did  not 
expect  to  get  out  alive.  I  was  all  covered  over  with  blood,  from  wounds  on  my  face. 
I  finally  crawled  up,  and  got  to  the  top,  and  found  a  lot  of  ruins  hanging  over  me, 
which  like  to  have  taken  my  life.  But  I  succeeded  in  getting  out.  I  passed  by  a  dead 
girl  on  my  way,  and  two  other  mangled  bodies  before  I  got  out.  When  I  was  first 
knocked  down,  I  fell  beneath  a  large  grinding  stone,  which  was  too  heavy  to  give  way 
to  the  weight  above,  and  this  saved  my  life.  When  I  fell  under  there,  I  saw  the  walls 
over  me  all  falling,  and  the  floor  giving  way  all  around  me." 

Statement  of  Rosanna  Kenney. 
Miss  Rosanna  Kenney,  residing  with  her  parents  at  114  Common  Street,  at  the  time 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  23 

of  the  accident  was  at  work  in  the  drawing-in-room,  in  the  fourth  story.  Her  left  arm 
and  elbow  were  severely  burned  by  the  steam  pipe,  and  her  right  shoulder  injured. 
She  is  twenty-one  years  of  age,  is  a  girl  of  much  intelligence,  and  speaks  very  clearly 
with  regard  to  the  calamity. 

She  says  she  has  worked  in  the  mill  since  it  started,  with  the  exception  of  last  sum- 
mer, when  she  was  treated  by  Dr.  Gay,  at  the  Massachusetts  General  Hospital,  for  a 
tumor.  On  the  day  before  the  disaster  she  noticed  an  unusual  rocking  in  her  part  of 
the  mill,  but  as  she  had  heard  that  some  stones  of  the  foundation  wall  had  moved  some 
time  ago,  she  attributed  the  rocking  to  the  thaw,  and  thought  little  of  it.  At  the 
time  of  the  accident,  she  was  sitting  at  her  frame,  drawing  in ;  she  heard  a  crash, 
but  thought  it  was  caused  by  the  foiling  of  a  beam  of  yarn ;  but  presently,  hearing  a 
second  crash,  she  knew  the  mill  was  falling ;  looking  towards  the  walls  she  saw  they 
were  still  erect;  turning  toward  a  thin  partition,  it  appeared  to  be  "coming  down  like 
waves  of  the  sea ; "  she  was  struck  by  a  rack  of  harnesses,  and  felled  to  the  floor,  with 
her  arms  and  part  of  her  head  confined  under  it. 

The  portion  of  the  floor,  being  in  the  south-west  corner  near  the  wall,  did  not  fall 
through,  but  hung  upon  an  inclined  plane.  For  over  an  hour  the  poor  girl  lay  in  this  crit- 
ical condition  —  at  first  perfectly  tranquil,  being  sure  of  relief,  but  afterwards  in  despe- 
ration, joining  the  loud  chorus  of  "help!  help!"  Succor  at  length  came,  but  in  the 
excitement,  against  Rosa's  remonstrance,  her  right  arm  was  pulled  violently  from  be- 
neath the  frame,  wringing  it  in  a  very  painful  manner.  She  was  finally  released,  and 
was  soon  in  a  comfortable  condition. 

Statement  of  Elbert  S.  Moses,  an  Overseer. 

Elbert  S.  Moses  had  charge  of  one  hundred  looms  in  the  weaving-room  over  the  cot- 
ton-house. The  first  thing  that  he  discovered,  was  a  swaying  of  the  cotton-house,  which 
did  not  fall.  This  was  instantly  succeeded  by  the  stopping  of  all  the  works.  The  gas- 
lights were  extinguished,  and  a  volume  of  steam  and  dust  rushed  into  the  room.  The 
girls  in  this  department  all  ran  screaming  for  the  windows  overlooking  the  river, 
three  stories  high.  Lights  were  discernible  only  above  and  at  the  southern  side  of  the 
room.  Mr.  Moses,  thinking  that  the  boilers  had  exploded,  told  them  the  danger  was  all 
over.  A  man  from  without  entered  the  room,  but  gave  no  alarm,  and  with  one  of  the 
weavers  ascended  to  the  window  in  the  roof.  Mr.  Moses  followed,  and  then  for  the  first 
time  discovered  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  disaster.  The  only  safe  deliverance  for 
the  girls  in  the  weaving-room  being  through  a  window  into  the  dry  house  of  the  Wash- 
ington, he  sprang  for  that,  and  by  the  aid  of  the  "  second  hand,"  tore  off  the  screen  and 
broke  the  window.  Thirty-one  girls  were  safely  passed  through  this  aperture.  As  one 
by  one  they  looked  back  into  the  shattered  vortex  below,  they  cried  out  in  anguish  for 
friends  who  were  buried  there.  Some  fainted,  and  had  to  be  supported.  Many 
of  them  had  friends  there,  but  all  were  rescued.  Mr.  Moses  returned  to  the 
roof  of  the  weaving-room,  where  he  saw  three  little  girls  near  the  chimney,  crouching 
beneath  the  cross-beams,  and  screaming  for  deliverance.  A  ladder  was  obtained, 
and  the  poor  creatures  rescued  from  their  perilous  jwsition.  Mr.  Moses  rescued  a  wo- 
man from  beside  a  beam  in  the  spinning-room,  in  a  space  five  or  six  feet  long  by  two 
feet  high,  and  a  foot  and  a  half  wide,  over  which,  in  ten  minutes,  the  flames  swept  in 
ruthless  fury. 

Recovery  of  the  Body  of  Lafayette  F.  Branch. 
The  body  of  Lafayette  F.  Branch  was  found  on  the  Sunday  after  the  accident,  out- 


24  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

eide  of  the  wall,  on  the  south-east  corner  of  the  building.  It  was  easily  identified, 
there  being  few  bruises  upon  the  head.  The  fingers  were  somewhat  mutilated,  and 
one  leg  was  broken.  The  body  was  found  lying  face  upwards,  in  a  straight  and  natu- 
ral position.  His  watch  was  in  his  pocket,  the  crystal  unbroken ;  it  was  stopped  at 
thirteen  minutes  of  five  o'clock,  which  was  supposed  to  be  the  exact  time  of  the  crash. 
By  the  position  of  the  body,  it  is  believed  that  he  jumped  from  the  window,  but  Avas 
overtaken  by  the  falling  walls  before  he  could  get  away.  Mr.  Branch  was  a  member 
of  the  city  government  of  1859,  and  he  was  universally  respected  in  the  community. 
He  was  foreman  of  the  dressing-room  in  the  fourth  story,  where  he  was  at  the  time  of 
the  accident. 

Recovery  of  the  Body  of  Catharine  Clark. 

About  three  o'clock  Monday  afternoon,  January  1C,  the  workmen  engaged  in  remov- 
ing the  ruined  wall  of  the  weaving  shed,  near  the  canal,  discovered  the  body  of  Mrs. 
Catharine  Clark,  who  was  employed  in  the  room  attached  to  the  main  building.  The 
body  was  lying  on  the  ground,  face  upwards,  and  parallel  with  the  wall.  It  was  not 
burned,  but  horribly  mutilated,  and  in  an  advanced  state  of  decomposition.  It  was  con- 
veyed to  the  City  Hall,  where  it  was  identified  by  means  of  a  dress,  by  a  fellow-boarder. 
The  deceased  was  a  widow,  and  boarded  at  No.  8G  Congress  Street.  Sin;  leaves  a 
family  of  five  orphan  children  in  Suncook,  N.  II.,  to  which  place  intelligence  of  the  dis- 
covery of  her  remains  was  immediately  telegraphed.  The  body  was  enclosed  in  a  coffin 
and  deposited  in  the  receiving  tomb. 

A  Touching  Narrative. 

The  following  letter  was  published  a  few  days  after  the  calamity,  which  disclosed  the 
sad  circumstances  attending  the  death  of  one  who  perished : — 

"  Rochester,  Jan.  18th,  1860. 

"  To  the  Pnhlic  : — Maurice  Palmer,  an  overseer  in  the  Pemberton  Mills,  whose  death 
was  occasioned  by  the  recent  grievous  calamity,  was  the  sole  hope  of  his  aged  parents. 
A  younger  sister  of  the  deceased  had  been  using  her  utmost  exertions  to  relieve  her 
father's  house  of  a  heavy  mortgage,  and  thus  give  her  parents  a  home  in  their  declining 
years,  but  consumption  caused  her  death  less  than  three  months  since.  And  now  their 
son,  Maurice,  their  last  surviving  hope,  is  cruelly  taken  away  from  them,  leaving  his  un- 
fortunate parents,  and  his  three  promising  children  (the  oldest  but  nine  years  old)  in 
poverty.  I  write  these  lines  to  call  the  attention  of  the  liberal  and  benevolent  to  the 
facts  herein  contained,  and  to  request  of  the  kind  and  generous  wherever  this  may 
go,  that  this  unfortunate  family  may  be  remembered  in  their  sore  affliction.  Means 
should  be  freely  contributed  to  save  to  them  their  home,  which  will  soon  pass  into  other 
hands,  unless  the  generous-minded  assist  them  in  their  distress.  They  are  worthy  of 
whatever  may  be  contributed  ;  the  father  is  rising  seventy  years  of  age,  and  an  excel- 
lent man,  being  highly  respected  by  all  who  know  him.  Those  forwarding  contributions 
to  Win.  Jackson,  our  postmaster,  may  rest  assured  that  they  will  be  placed  at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  family.  Wishing  all  to  give  according  to  the  extent  of  their  means,  and 
thus  assist  a  suffering  and  destitute  family,  whose  only  chance  of  support  has  gone  in 
the  person  of  their  worthy  and  excellent  son, 

"  I  remain  very  respectfully  yours,  John  II.  Fuller. 

"  The  above  facts  are  strictly  correct.  Wm.  Jackson,  Postmaster. 

"  J.  D.  Evans,  Town-clerk." 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  25 


Miraculous  Escapes. 


One  young  girl  was  buried  ten  feet  under  rubbish,  but  her  screams  being  heard,  par- 
ties set  to  work  to  extricate  her.  After  toiling  long  and  hard,  they  succeeded  in 
removing  the  complicated  mass,  when,  to  their  astonishment,  the  girl  jumped  nim- 
bly up,  aud  ran  skipping  away,  greatly  pleased  at  her  liberation,  and  not  in  the  least 
hurt. 

An  entire  family  of  five  persons,  all  employed  in  the  mill,  was  providentially  saved, 
and  the  poor  mother,  gathering  her  children  about  her,  amid  the  surrounding  darkness, 
her  heart  bursting  with  gratitude  for  their  deliverance,  offered  up  a  fervent  prayer  to 
Heaven. 

Miss  Selina  Weeks,  of  Dover,  N.  II.,  worked  in  the  spool-room,  in  the  sixth  story. 
She  went  down  with  the  building,  and  when  she  recovered  from  the  shock,  she  was 
standing  upon  the  floor  of  the  spool-room,  her  body  half  concealed  amid  the  ruins.  She 
escaped  unhurt. 

Damon  Wyhom,  an  overseer  in  charge  of  the  looms  in  the  basement  and  first  story, 
was  buried  beneath  twelve  feet  of  ruin.  By  almost  superhuman  exertion,  and  after  re- 
peatedly sinking  back  in  despair,  he  succeeded  in  clearing  a  passage  to  where  he  could 
be  reached  by  those  outside,  and  was  saved. 

A  boy  at  work  in  one  of  the  upper  rooms,  hearing  the  crash,  had  the  presence  of 
mind  to  jump  into  a  waste  box,  which,  with  its  occupant,  was  buried  several  feet  beneath 
the  ruins.  When  the  rescuers  raised  the  pile  of  rubbish  from  the  box,  the  young  hero 
sprang  from  his  narrow  prison,  and  walked  away  as  coolly  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

Another  boy,  who  had  acquired  the  use  of  the  "  dudeen,"  on  being  extricated 
from  beneath  a  mass  of  machinery,  walked  away,  took  a  pipe  from  his  pocket  and  went 
to  smoking. 

Three  women  were  in  the  privy  when  the  mill  fell,  and  were  all  saved,  as  that  por- 
tion of  the  building  remained  standing  until  the  succeeding  evening. 

Three  young  women,  members  of  a  family  of  seven,  named  Luck,  were  all  in  the  mill 
at  the  time  of  the  fall,  all  of  whom  escaped  without  serious  injury.  One  of  them,  Jane 
Luck,  after  being  buried  five  hours  beneath  the  ruins,  was  rescued  without  receiving 
so  much  as  a  scratch.  Anna,  one  of  the  oldest  sisters,  was  standing  near  her  loom 
when  the  crash  came.  She  instantly  threw  herself  under  the  loom,  and  called  to  Eliza- 
beth Fish  and  Phelia  Barnes  to  follow  her  example.  They  did  so,  and  were  all  three 
saved.  The  Luck  sisters  had  one  uncle  killed  and  another  fatally  injured.  All  these 
girls  were  near  the  windows. 

Miss  Ann  Lugden  of  Lowell,  was  at  work  in  the  fifth  story,  and  was  buried  in  the 
ruins ;  after  lying  senseless  for  an  hour  she  made  her  escape  with  several  others  near 
her,  and  returned  to  Lowell  to  prevent  her  mother  from  suffering  anxiety  and  suspense. 

Mr.  Thomas  A.  Watson,  who  worked  in  the  fifth  story,  had  three  ribs  broken,  his 
lower  jaw  broken  in  three  places,  and  several  severe  flesh  wounds  and  bruises.  Yet  ho 
was  not  aware  of  any  injury  or  pain  until  after  his  rescue.  Watson's  wife  worked  in 
the  Pemberton  Mill  and  had  not  been  away  from  there  a  day  for  six  months  until 
that  afternoon.  Her  husband  intended  to  start  for  California  on  the  following  Monday, 
and  she  remained  at  home  to  do  some  washing  and  prepare  for  his  outfit.  By  this  cause 
she  was  saved  from  running  the  great  personal  risk  which  endangered  the  life  of  her 
husband. 

Mr.  Adams,  second  hand  in  the  weaving-room  on  the  first  floor,  was  buried  deeply  in 
the  ruins,  and  extricated  himself  with  a  saw  and  an  axe  which  were  handed  to  him 
through  a  crevice. 

4 


2G  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 


Touching  Incidents. 


A  young  girl  was  released  just  before  the  flames  burst  forth,  and  in  answer  to  a  ques- 
tion, stated  that  she  was  unhurt.  It  afterwards  appeared  that  her  right  arm  was  badly 
broken  near  the  wrist,  but  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  and  the  joy  of  deliverance 
from  a  dreadful  death,  she  had  not  noticed  the  hurt. 

A  little  boy,  whose  only  friend  on  earth  was  his  mother,  and  that  mother  employed  in 
the  mill,  wandered  about  among  the  crowd,  sobbing  as  if  his  little  heart  would  break, 
and  begging  the  bystanders  to  save  his  mother.  The  prayers  of  the  little  fellow  were 
answered  ;  his  mother  was  saved,  and  clasping  her  son  in  her  arms,  his  joy  knew  no 
bounds  —  one  extreme  succeeding  another. 

The  fire  had  made  considerable  progress,  and  was  approaching  the  spot  where  a  man 
was  surrounded  by  timbers,  yet  bad  room  to  move  about.  A  stream  of  water  was  di- 
rected upon  him,  and  every  exertion  made  to  save  him,  but  in  vain.  He  and  three  oth- 
ers, in  nearly  the  same  position,  were  left  to  perish. 

A  j'oung  man,  the  only  son  of  his  mother,  and  she  a  widow,  who,  through  his  exer- 
tions, had  been  brought  from  Ireland,  only  a  week  before  the  calamity,  was  among  the 
killed. 

Among  the  numerous  cases  reported  to  His  Honor  the  Mayor,  is  that  of  a  family  of  six 
children,  who  have  lost  both  parents  by  the  calamity. 

At  one  point,  when  a  rope  had  been  fixed  to  a  projecting  timber,  a  call  was  made  to 
the  crowd  to  take  hold  and  pull  with  a  will,  but  for  a  few  minutes,  such  was  the  danger 
of  the  attempt  —  for  the  beam  in  falling  might  engulf  all  near  it — the  call  was  unheeded. 
Men  shuddered  and  drew  back  ;  they  would  risk  much  to  aid  those  below,  but  life  was 
sweet  and  the  danger  great.  At  this  critical  juncture  a  woman  rushed  from  among  the 
crowd  and  daring  the  spectators  to  follow,  seized  the  rope  and  attempted  to  mount  the 
pile  of  smouldering  ruins,  to  clear  awaj'  with  her  hands.  The  example  was  enough  ;  not 
a  word  was  said,  but  strong  hands  at  once  drew  the  female  back,  and  then  there  was  no 
lack  of  hands  to  the  rope,  the  beam  was  drawn  out,  and  at  least  two  sufferers  released 
from  the  opening  thus  made. 

One  poor  girl,  alive  and  fully  conscious,  was  dragged  from  the  east  end  of  the  fallen 
mass,  with  her  left  arm  torn  from  the  socket,  and  her  body  and  legs  awfully 
mangled.  She  was  taken  by  her  friends,  but  did  not  survive  long.  In  one  place  the 
bodies  of  three  girls  were  found  locked  in  each  other's  arms,  but  quite;  dead.  They 
could  not  be  removed  without  mangling  them,  and  being  abandoned  for  a  time,  the 
flames  broke  out  before  another  attempt  was  made. 

A  young  and  beautiful  girl  employed  in  one  of  the  upper  stories  of  the  mill,  when  the 
crash  came,  was  thrown  prostrate  upon  the  floor  by  a  piece  of  shafting  which  fell  across 
her  neck,  preventing  her  rising.  The  coupling  which  connected  the  shaft  kept 
the  latter  from  strangling  her ;  and  in  her  comparative  ease,  and  confident  of  a  speedy 
delivery,  she  calmly  watched  the  efforts  made  by  the  rescuers  to  extricate  her.  She 
would  have  been  saved  had  the  fire  been  stayed  but  for  a  few  minutes.  But  the  flames 
swept  over  the  spot,  claiming  and  obtaining  its  victim. 

Among  the  painful  incidents  of  the  dead-room,  was  that  described  by  a  gentleman 
who  was  assisting  a  poor  Irish  woman  in  a  search  for  a  relative  —  the  only  one  of  her 
kin  who  was  not  separated  from  her  by  an  ocean.  A  blue  scarf  and  a  cross-pin  were 
the  means  by  which  she  hoped  to  recognize  him.  They  stepped  over  some  bodies,  and 
inspected  the  countenances  of  all,  without  finding  the  one  they  were  searching  for.  The 
gentleman,  on  raising  the  cloth  which  covered  the  face  of  one,  was  shocked  to  see  that 
the  under  jaw  was  entirely  gone,  apparently  broken  and  then  driven  into  the  neck  by 


THE   LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  27 

the  force  of  a  heavy  blow  from  some  large  piece  of  machinery,  and  still  more  to  see 
on  the  neck  the  blue  scarf,  and  the  pin  glistening  upon  it,  which  were  to  identify  the 
lost  one.  The  grief  of  the  woman  was  great,  but  she  seemed  to  have  been  prepared  for 
the  result  of  her  search,  and  retired  from  the  room  to  prepare  for  the  funeral  of  her 
friend. 

A  little  lad,  named  Henry  Hale,  had  his  legs  and  the  lower  part  of  his  body  palsied 
by  means  of  a  beam  which  fell  across  his  bowels,  but  he  was  cheerful  and  lively  in  the 
midst  of  his  sufferings. 

THE  SEARCH  FOE  THE  DEAD. 

The  flames,  which  had  capped  the  climax  of  the  disaster,  raged  through  that  night, 
and  on  the  morning  of  the  eleventh  the  breaking  of  day  disclosed  the  ruin  they  had 
left,  and  the  smoke  and  half-smothered  fire  still  rising  from  that  funeral  pyre.  Towards 
daylight,  most  of  the  crowd  who  had  been  laboring  unceasingly  in  battling  with  the  de- 
vouring element,  dispersed,  some  to  seek  for  the  lost,  others  to  attend  the  wounded,  and 
a  few  to  seek  that  temporary  rest  which  they  so  much  needed.  Some  still  lingered  about 
the  scene  of  devastation,  and  their  number  was  soon  augmented  by  people  flocking  from 
the  City  Hall  and  from  the  surrounding  towns.  Each  arriving  train  brought  crowd9 
of  visitors,  who  gathered  to  gaze  on  the  disaster,  till  the  bridge,  the  ice-bound  canal, 
and  the  street  which  overlooked  it,  were  thronged.  They  pressed  as  close  to  the  ruin 
as  the  heat  of  the  still-smoking  pile  would  allow.  The  firemen,  many  of  them,  were 
still  at  work,  and  some  of  the  spectators  were  manly  enough  to  relieve  them  at  the 
brakes.  The  water  hissed  as  it  fell  upon  the  charred  masses  of  timbers  and  the  heated 
machinery.  Gradually  the  ruins  became  cool  enough  to  allow  workmen  to  resume  the 
search  for  dead  bodies,  and  energetically  they  plied  themselves  to  the  task,  not  with  the 
moderation  of  hirelings,  but  spurred  on  by  intense  anxiety  and  despair,  tempered  with 
the  hope  of  finding  at  least  the  remains  of  those  they  were  seeking.  With  but  little 
success  was  the  work  continued  through  the  day  and  succeeding  night,  for  the  masses 
of  stone  and  metal  retained  an  overpowering  heat. 

In  the  evening  the  Pemberton  Company  took  charge  of  the  ruins,  but  many  of  the 
common  laborers  had  friends  among  the  dead  and  wounded,  while  nearly  all  who  took 
an  interest  in  the  search  for  the  missing  were  worn  out  with  fatigue.  During  the  night 
the  drizzling  rain  had  changed  to  snow,  and  but  few  remained  about  the  spot.  At  ten 
o'clock  on  Thursday  forenoon  the  smoke  was  still  curling  up  from  fires  in  the  caverns 
of  the  ruins  to  which  the  water  and  snow  had  not  penetrated.  Three  streams  from  hy- 
drants were  playing  upon  them,  and  the  water  was  gradually  congealing  upon  and  en- 
crusting the  mass  of  brick  and  machinery,  which  filled  and  rose  above  the  cellars  of  the 
mills.  At  the  same  time  the  rapidly  falling  snow  was  weaving  a  winding  sheet  over  the 
dead  as  it  sifted  through  the  crevices  of  the  ruins.  Two  or  three  hundred  people  stood 
sadly  gazing  upon  the  smouldering  fragments,  and  a  few  men  and  women  wandered 
over  the  vast  funeral  pyre  and  gazed  into  the  dreadful  depths  with  the  vain  hope  of 
discovering  some  intimation  of  life,  or  relic  of  the  dead.  But  little  labor  was  done  at 
excavation  during  that  day,  but  on  Friday  a  hundred  men  were  at  work,  and  the  over- 
hauling and  removal  of  the  rubbish  progressed  rapidly.  Derricks  were  raised  over  the 
pavls  of  the  ruins  where  the  most  weighty  masses  were,  and  long  trenches  in  the  com- 
plicated masses  of  machinery,  filled  with  men  at  work  with  hands  and  tools,  indicated 
the  progress  of  the  labors.  From  this  time  until  near  the  close  of  the  succeeding  week 
bodies  were  almost  hourly  recovered  and  conveyed  to  the  dead-room  at  the  City  Hall. 
Some  were  found  in  nearly  a  perfect  state,  and  were  easily  recognized ;  others  were  hor- 
ribly mutilated  or  disfigured,  and  could  only  be  identified  by  fragments  of  clothing. 


28  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

On  one  occasion,  while  two  or  three  men  were  digging  in  the  ruins,  a  man  proposed 
to  them  to  dig  at  a  place  where  he  saw  a  young  woman  buried.  He  said  she  was  struck 
by  the  shafting,  her  legs  doubled  under  her,  so  that  she  could  not  move,  and  that  just 
before  the  fire  he  heard  her  cries.  Her  name  was  Kate  Cooney,  recently  from  Ireland, 
and  without  friends  in  Lawrence.  The  men  dug  as  requested,  and  soon  came  to  her 
body;  it  was  horribly  mutilated  by  the  fire  around  the  head  and  shoulders,  but  below 
that  the  flames  had  not  extended,  and  her  dress  and  apron  were  not  scorched.  Her 
arms  were  burned  off  to  the  elbows,  and  above  them  the  bones  had  been  broken  in  sev- 
eral places.  Near  her  head  was  an  ear-jewel.  The  body  of  John  Hughes,  a  muscular 
man,  who  had  escaped  from  the  building  but  was  overtaken  and  buried  by  the  falling 
rubbish,  was  found  in  the  Duck  USUI  1  yard.  The  face  had  been  pressed  out  of  shape  by 
some  heavy  weight,  but  no  other  injuries  were  manifest. 

On  Saturday,  thirteen  bodies  were  exhumed;  like  all  recovered  after  the  fire,  these 
were  more  or  less  disfigured.  In  some  cases  nothing  remained  of  the  forms  so  recently 
animate,  but  fragments  of  charred  limbs  and  portions  of  the  vitals,  so  effectual  was  the 
work  of  the  devouring  element. 

The  work,  which  had  actively  progressed  all  day,  was  postponed  Saturday  evening 
at  dark.  The  workmen  had  progressed  to  that  part  of  the  ruins  where  it  was  supposed 
a  large  number  of  the  bodies  would  be  found  ;  and  the  work  was  stayed  by  the  fear  that 
these  bodies  might  be  unnecessarily  mutilated  if  the  workmen  should  proceed  to  exhume 
them  in  the.  night.  On  Friday  night  the  bonfires  burned  but  dimly,  and  the  work  went 
on  amid  a  solemn  gloom,  relieved  only  by  a  fitful  glare.  The  progress  of  the  labor  was 
the  subject  of  an  intense  and  universal  anxiety,  but  the.  cessation  was  caused  only  by  a 
feeling  of  humanity.  It  was  resumed  Sunday  morning  by  a  force  of  a  hundred  and 
fifty  men,  commencing  inside  of  the  walls. 

The  last  of  the  bodies  recovered  were  almost  entirely  destroyed.  By  Friday,  Janu- 
ary 20,  every  part  of  the  ruins  had  been  examined,  and  it  was  believed  that  no  bodies 
remained  unrecovered,  except  such  as  had  been  completely  burned. 

The  mayor  was  daily  in  receipt  of  intelligence  from  many  of  the  surviving  operatives, 
who,  until  the  knowledge  of  their  safety  was  gained,  were  supposed  to  have  been  buried 
in  the  ruins.     Many  were  heard  from  at  Methuen,  Andover,  and  Lowell. 

The  crowds  at  the  ruins  continued  immense  for  several  days,  and  almost  every 
person  bore  away  some  relic  from  the  scene  of  the  disaster.  A  gentleman  from 
St.  Louis  procured  a  large  bundle,  taking  not  only  burned  fragments  of  clothing 
found  upon  the  victims,  spindles  and  yarn  from  the  general  mass  of  ruins,  but  even 
a  part  of  a  brick,  and  the  mortar  which  came  from  its  surface.  Several  gentlemen 
from  New  York  were  also  ladened  with  relics.  Spindles  which  were  found  bright  and 
polished  were  favorite  relics;  but  any  part  which  could  be  conveniently  carried  found  a 
customer.  The  passion  grew  to  such  an  extent  that  orders  were  given  against  allowing 
further  acts  of  the  kind,  and  only  a  favored  few  could  enter  the  lines  which  surrounded 
the  ruins. 

After  the  ruins  had  been  thoroughly  examined  for  bodies,  the  workmen  were  directed 
to  remove  such  portions  of  floors  and  rubbish  as  were  considered  dangerous.  Then 
they  were  occupied  in  removing  the  bricks  and  machinery  from  the  pile,  and  in  taking 
from  it  the  burned  cloth  and  other  property  which  could  be  saved,  a  long  and  difficult 
work.  As  soon  as  the  expectation  of  finding  bodies  no  longer  prompted  haste,  the 
gangs  of  workmen  who  had  been  hired  in  other  towns  and  cities  were  dismissed  to  give 
an  opportunity  for  work  to  such  as  had  been  thrown  out  of  employment  by  the  ac- 
cident. 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  29 

RELIEF    OP    THE    SUFFERERS. 

Turning  from  the  revolting  pictures  which  other  events  and  duties  have  indelibly  im- 
pressed upon  the  memory,  from  the  shocking  realities  of  violent  death  and  the  agonizing 
grief  of  surviving  kindred  and  friends,  it  is  a  relief  to  recite  the  evidences  of  unselfish 
sympathy,  of  pure  and  disinterested  benevolence,  which  have  arisen  from  every  quarter. 
From  sources  widely  separated  in  interest  from  the  victims  of  the  calamity,  came  gener- 
ous donations  of  material  comforts,  evidences  of  the  wide-spread  sympathy  which  the 
catastrophe  had  awakened.  Scarcely  had  the  electricity  flashed  the  news  of  the  disas- 
ter over  the  country,  when  the  answering  tide  of  benevolence  came  rolling  back,  and 
on  the  day  after  the  accident,  before  the  citizens  of  Lawrence  had  had  time  to  perfect 
their  plans  for  aiding  the  sufferers,  the  following  paragraph  was  read  in  the  Boston 
evening  papers :  — 

"  A  meeting  of  twenty  gentlemen  was  held  at  the  rooms  of  the  Massachusetts  Hospital 
Life  Insurance  Company  at  half-past  one  o'clock,  in  reference  to  rendering  assistance 
to  the  sufferers  by  the  recent  catastrophe  at  Lawrence.  Hon.  David  Sears  presided. 
Mr.  T.  Jefferson  Coolidge  was  chosen  Secretary.  It  was  decided,  without  discussion, 
that  a  subscription  be  opened,  and  that  the  sum  obtained  be  paid  over  to  the  New 
England  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Manufactures  and  Mechanic  Arts  for  distribution. 
Those  present  put  down  their  names  for  $2,000,  and  the  meeting  dissolved,  leaving  the 
paper  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  A.  A.  Lawrence  for  further  contributions." 

This  came  like  a  ray  of  encouragement  on  the  dark  scene  of  poverty,  which  had 
met  the  eyes  of  the  benevolent. 

The  next  day  an  announcement  appeared  that  a  subscription  paper  had  been  opened 
at  46  State  Street,  Boston,  and  of  a  meeting  of  the  Committee  of  Relief,  Amos  A.  Law- 
rence presiding,  at  which  it  was  voted  to  despatch  at  once  the  sum  of  $5,000,  by  a 
special  messenger,  to  assist  in  relieving  the  suffering  so  prevalent  in  Lawrence.  At 
this  meeting  committees  were  appointed  to  solicit  aid. 

These  sums  were  the  foundation  for  a  large  fund  of  contributions,  which  flowed  in 
from  all  parts  of  New  England,  from  New  York,  Philadelphia  (where  the  movement 
was  initiated  by  a  contribution  of  $500  from  the  Corn  Exchange),  and  elsewhere. 

A  committee  of  the  "  New  England  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Manufactures  and 
the  Mechanic  Arts,"  had  charge  of  most  of  the  larger  contributions  in  Boston  and 
vicinity.  The  following  touching  appeal  was  received  by  the  chairman  of  this  com 
mittee  from  Mayor  Saunders,  on  the  Saturday  after  the  disaster :  — 

"  City  of  Lawrence,  Mayor's  Office,  Jan.  13. 

"  My  Beak  Sir  : — We  as  yet  know  but  little  of  the  heart-rending  agony  that  is  crush- 
ing our  people.  Instances  are  hourly  brought  to  my  notice,  which  make  me  long  for  a 
time  to  weep.     I  have  steeled  my  nerves,  yet  they  almost  break. 

"  There  are  many  cases  which  call  for  speedy  aid  and  sympathy.  Nine  hundred  per  pie 
upon  whom  at  least  three  thousand  were  dependent  for  support,  are  out  of  employment. 
Young  children  have  lost  their  parents ;  brothers  and  sisters,  dependent  upon  each 
other,  are  separated;  aged  and  infirm  parents,  dependent  upon  their  children,  are 
now  childless. 

"  One  terrible  case  came  under  my  personal  observation.  A  little  girl  about  fifteen 
years  of  age,  who  supported  her  younger  orphan  brothers  and  sisters,  was  buried  in  the 
ruins,  but  not  injured.    We  had  nearly  extricated  her;  ten  minutes  more  and  she  would 


30  TIIE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

have  been  safe  —  but  the  flames  came.     You  must  imagine  the  rest.    I  can't 'write  it. 
Oh  !  how  fervently  our  prayers  joined  with  hers  to  God. 

"  There  are  many  very  sad  cases.     I  can't  write — it  unmans  me. 

"  Yours  truly, 

"   "  D.  SAUNDERS,  Jr.,  Mayor." 

Such  appeals  as  this  moved  the  hearts  of  all,  and  subscriptions  were  swelled  till  there 
seemed  no  longer  any  danger  from  poverty. 

A  board  of  trustees  for  the  management  of  the  Relief  Fund  was  promptly  organized, 
and  consisted  of  the  following  gentlemen  :  Daniel  Saunders,  Jr.,  Charles  S.  Storrow, 
Henry  K.  Oliver,  John  C.  Hoadley,  and  William  C.  Chapin. 

The  city  was  immediately  divided  into  districts,  in  one  of  which  each  physician  paid 
frequent  visits  to  all  the  wounded,  and  another  division  into  wards  was  made  with  ref- 
erence to  the  labors  of  a  committee  for  the  distribution  of  supplies  to  the  needy. 

The  committee  was  constituted  as  follows :  Ward  1,  S.  A.  Furbush  ;  Ward  2,  J.  Q.  A. 
Batehelder;  Ward  3,  W.  D.  Joslyn;  Ward  4,  Henry  AVithington ;  Ward  5,  Elbridge 
Weston  ;  Ward  6,  Daniel  Saunders.  The  latter  gentleman  is  the  father  of  His  Honor, 
Mayor  Saunders.  Mr.  Pardon  Armstrong  was  appointed  clerk.  These  committees 
and  physicians  at  first  found  much  suffering  and  much  destitution  among  a  large  class 
of  the  operatives,  and  particularly  among  those  families  some  members  of  which  had 
been  injured  or  killed. 

A  gentleman  among  the  most  active  in  relieving  the  distresses  of  the  injured  and 
poor  related  that  on  one  of  his  visits  he  found  a  small  tenement  occupied  by  two  fam- 
ilies, numbering  about  eight  persons.  There  was  but  one  stove  in  the  tenement,  and 
but  one  bed.  Those  of  the  two  families  who  could  not  be  accommodated  on  this,  had 
been  accustomed  to  sleep  upon  the  floor.  Out  of  those  eight  or  nine  persons,  two 
were  v/ounded,  not  dangerously,  but  still  severely  enough  to  require  careful  attention. 
The  families  had  emigrated  there  within  a  few  weeks  from  Nova  Scotia,  and  had  but 
few  friends  in  the  vicinity.  Their  poverty  was  found  to  correspond  to  their  limited 
household  equipments,  and  they  were  promptly  relieved. 

A  young  lady,  one  of  those  whose  angel  visits  (not  few,  however,  nor  far  between) 
added  to  the  comforts  and  relieved  the  distresses  of  the  unfortunate  sufferers,  found  in 
one  of  her  tours  a  poor  widow  with  five  children,  none  of  them  old  enough  for  hard 
labor.  One,  a  daughter,  had  been  almost  the  sole  dependence  of  the  rest,  and  she 
was  injured  badly  by  the  accident.  The  wounded  girl  lacked  not  only  the  luxuries, 
but  the  necessities,  of  a  sick-room,  and  might  have  died  but  for  the  accidental  discov- 
ery of  her  needy  condition.  The  other  children  were  hungry  and  half  clothed.  The 
wounded  daughter  was  made  comfortable  and  the  case  promptly  reported,  when  a  medi- 
cal attendant  and  the  almoners  of  the  city  missionary  enterprise  rendered  the  whole 
family  happy. 

In  one  of  her  visits  among  the  wounded,  another  young  lady  found  a  poor  widow, 
whose  daughter,  her  main  dependence,  had  been  killed,  and  whose  two  little  boys  were 
sick.  She  had  mourned  her  daughter's  tragic  end  with  that  grief  which  refuses  tears, 
till  her  mind  had  become  unstrung,  and  when  found  she  was  almost  a  maniac,  while  her 
little  boys,  frightened  at  their  mother's  ravings,  were  suffering  for  food  and  clothing,  and 
bewildered  at  the  new  phase  of  sorrow. 

But  the  most  trying  scenes  came  under  the  notice  of  the  physicians,  as  they  made 
their  accustomed  rounds.  The  notes  of  a  reporter  who  accompanied  one  of  the  physi- 
cians on  a  tour  among  the  wounded,  will  serve  as  a  specimen  of  the  nature  of  their 
injuries :  — 

"  Mary  MeAlcar  at  No.  15  Short  Street,  jumped  from  one  of  the  upper  stories  of  the 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  31 

mill.  Received  fracture  of  forearm,  injury  to  right,  hip,  and  a  general  shock  to  her 
system.  She  rallied  at  first,  but  is  now  in  a  dying  condition.  Catharine  Carrigan,  at 
No.  18  Common  Street,  had  thigh  and  arm  fractured,  and  received  injury  on  head.  She 
is  in  a  critical  condition,  but  may  recover.  Mary  Lawton,  at.  the  same  place,  sustained 
a  severe  injury  to  her  head,  and  a  fracture  of  one  arm.  Her  case  is  considered  critical 
Celia  Stevens,  at  No.  17  Orchard  Street,  has  a  concussion  of  spine,  and  severe  injuries 
on  head  and  on  hand.  She  is  in  a  critical  condition,  and  will  probably  die.  Mary  Cal- 
lahan, at  No.  31  Common  Street,  sustained  a  severe  contusion  of  lower  limbs,  one  leg 
crushed  below  the  knee,  rendering  amputation  necessary.  Ellen  Mahoncy,  boards  near 
the  Washington  House,  had  leg  broken  and  thigh  crushed,  together  with  a  severe 
laceration  of  the  thigh.  Augusta  Sampson,  boarding  at  No.  3  Pemberton  Corporation, 
sustained  a  severe  injury  of  the  spine,  and  cannot  survive.  Ira  D.  Locke,  of  Deering, 
N.  H,  boards  at  No.  3  Washington  Street,  was  dangerously  injured  internally,  and  is  in 
a  critical  condition.  Mary  Kelley,  in  Valley  Street,  and  Geoi'ge  Kodolf,  in  Mechanic 
Street,  had  each  a  thigh  fractured.  Joanna  Kearney,  at  No.  239  Oak  Street,  had  an 
arm  fractured  and  one  leg  badly  lacerated.  She  will  probably  recover.  Catharine 
O'Brien,  No.  62  Chestnut  Street,  fracture  of  arm,  contusion  of  head,  and  laceration  of 
lower  limbs.  She  is  a  great  smTerer.  Ellen  McKay,  No.  257  Elm  Street,  whose  shoulder 
was  fractured  and  spine  injured,  is  doing  well ;  and  Mrs.  Kelley,  at  the  same  place,  who 
sustained  injury  to  head  and  spine,  is  also  in  a  comfortable  condition.  Thomas  II. 
Watson,  at  No.  26  Bay  State  Corporation,  lies  in  an  extremely  critical  condition.  His 
jaw  and  several  ribs  were  fractured,  and  his  chest  crushed,  rendering  his  recovery 
doubtful.  Ann  Manning,  at  No.  84  Common  Street,  received  fracture  of  jaw  and  con- 
tusion of  face,  but  is  doing  well.  Mary  Lavemay,  at  same  place,  had  one  of  her  feet 
crushed,  but  is  in  a  comfortable  condition.  Henry  Peckham,  No.  1  Common  Street,  had 
one  thigh  fractured,  but  is  doing  well.  Robert  Hayes,  No.  30  Chestnut  Street,  had  an 
arm  fractured  and  sustained  severe  contusions  in  various  parts  of  his  body.  He  13 
likely  to  recover.  Margaret  Ryan  will  probably  recover  from  a  fracture  of  the  clavicle. 
Michael  Wren,  No.  77  Chestnut  Street,  had  several  ribs  and  the  clavicle  fractured,  and 
sustained  severe  contusions  of  the  head,  together  with  internal  injuries,  which  render 
his  case  a  severe  and  critical  one.  Catharine  McKay,  Oak  Street,  severe  fracture  of 
one  thigh  and  a  serious  contusion  of  the  other  limb,  below  the  knee.  A  critical  case. 
Thomas  Conner,  on  the  Pemberton  Corporation,  sustained  a  fracture  of  the  pelvis,  and 
his  recovery  is  doubtful.  Miss  Watson,  No.  9  Pemberton  Corporation,  received  serious 
contusion  of  one  arm  and  a  rupture  of  the  muscle.  The  physician  hopes  to  save  the 
limb.  William  Childs  sustained  a  compound  fracture  of  the  forearm,  but  is  in  a  com- 
fortable condition.  Miss  Maria  Hall,  No.  77  Orchard  Street,  is  in  a  pitiful  condition 
from  a  severe  injury  to  the  spine.  This  is  one  of  the  most  serious  cases.  Henry  Hall 
Chestnut  Street,  received  injuries  in  the  bowels  which  render  his  recovery  extremely 
doubtful.  Mary  Callahan  lies  at  No.  31  Common  Street,  in  a  feeble  condition,  from 
a  frightful  laceration  of  the  leg,  extending  from  the  foot  to  above  the  knee.  Amputa- 
tion is  necessary,  and  will  be  performed  if  she  is  capable  of  surviving  the  operation. 
Kate  Harrahec,  No.  1 7  Commerce  Street,  has  her  arms  and  one  thigh  fractured.  She 
is  sixteen  years  old,  and  is  attended  by  her  brother,  from  Brighton,  and  a  sister  who 
worked  by  her  side  in  the  mill,  but  escaped  uninjured.  Mary  Ann  Ilickey,  No.  142 
Common  Street,  has  a  fractured  collar-bone,  a  severe  contusion  of  the  chest  and  elbow, 
hand  crushed,  serious  injury  at  top  of  spinal  column,  and  also  suffers  from  a  lung  diffi- 
culty. This  case  is  considered  doubtful.  Samuel  Martin,  No.  73  Chestnut  Street,  had 
his  eye  crushed  out  so  that  it  hung  down  on  his  nose ;  the  bone  of  the  socket  was 
broken.     The  eye  was  replaced,  but  he  will  lose  it,  without  doubt.     His  left  arm  is 


32  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

badly  bruised,  and  he  also  suffers  from  two  severe  scalp  wounds.  Henry  Kocher,  No. 
107  Summer  Street,  who  was  injured  in  tlie  head,  remained  unconscious  for  five  or  six 
days,  but  yesterday  his  senses  were  returning.  He  will  recover.  Owen  Horn  had  his 
foot  badly  burned  by  a  steam  pipe.  Bridget  Patten  had  her  scalp  removed  from  one 
side  and  laid  over;  her  head  is  also  badly  injured.  Hannah  Pinnesy  suffers  from  a 
fracture  of  the  femur,  and  has  a  mutilated  hand  and  arm.  Mary  Crosby,  who  had  a 
sister  killed,  had  a  severe  wound  on  the  head,  with  one  ear  nearly  cut  off;  this  has  been 
stitched.  She  now  suffers  greatly  from  prostration.  The  case  of  James  Davis,  No. 
115  Oak  Street,  is  a  severe  one,  and  his  recovery  is  extremely  doubtful.  He  had  both 
jaws  fractured,  one  shoulder  injured,  and  received  a  severe  contusion  of  the  chest." 

Some  of  these  were  first  found  lying  on  miserable  beds,  in  poor  apartments,  badly 
ventilated,  and  with  none  of  the  comforts  about  them  which  should  relieve  the  tedium 
of  the.  sick-room.  But  the  benevolent  people  of  Lawrence,  and  the  efficient  committee 
who  visited  the  destitute,  searched  out  each  individual  ease  of  suffering  from  poverty, 
and  gave  prompt  relief.  There  were  many  streets  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  which 
contained  scarcely  a  house  but  had  its  victim  of  the  calamity.  All  that  medical  skill 
could  do  was  done  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  the  wounded. 

Among  the  sufferers  mentioned  above  was  Mary  Callahan,  and  her  case  was  ren- 
dered the  more  lamentable  from  the  obstinate  refusal  of  her  friends  to  submit  to  the 
only  process,  in  the  opinion  of  the  physicians,  which  could  save  her  life.  They  de<  ided, 
after  consultation,  that  her  leg  should  be  amputated.  The  girl  was  disposed  to  submit 
to  the  advice  of  her  medical  attendant,  but  the  most  urgent  appeals  of  the  physician 
and  the  priest  to  the  mother,  failed  to  induce  her  to  comply  with  their  request.  Her 
only  reason  for  refusing  was,  the  superstitious  one  that  her  daughter's  condition  in 
heaven  would  not  be  so  happy  if  she  were  maimed.  The  mayor  used  every  effort  to 
induce  her  friends  to  have  her  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Boston,  but  they  persistently  re- 
fused, and  there  seemed  no  hope  that  the  poor  girl's  lifo  could  be  saved.  Both  mother 
and  daughter  had  worked  in  the  middle  of  the  card-room,  and  it  seemed  sad  to  devote 
as  a  sacrifice  to  dark  superstition  a  life  that  had  been  spared  in  the  perils  of  the  falling 
building. 

During  the  week  after  the  disaster,  the  want  of  accommodations  for  some  of  the 
wounded,  suggested  to  several  benevolent  gentlemen  of  Boston  the  establishment  of  a 
hospital,  and  the  result  was  the  appropriation  of  the  house  at  No.  10  Pemberton  Cor- 
poration to  that  purpose.  The  corporation  gave  the  use  of  the  building,  the  city  gov- 
ernment of  Lawrence  furnished  it  in  a  comfortable  manner,  and  Mr.  J.  M.  Barnard  of 
Boston  provided  for  it  a  corps  of  nurses,  assuming  the  general  superintendence  himself. 
A  corps  of  physicians  from  the  Massachusetts  Medical  Hospital  volunteered  their  ser- 
vices to  relieve  the  Lawrence,  physicians  giving  their  personal  attention  to  patients 
sent  there.  The  project  was  started  in  the  true  spirit  of  charity,  and  was  at  once 
placed  under  the  direction  of  the  Relief  Committee  of  Lawrence,' those  physicians  and 
nurses  who  came  from  Boston  only  desiring  to  assist  the  overworked  and  suffering  peo- 
ple of  the  town.  To  this  place  were  removed  eight  of  the  most  destitute  of  the  wounded 
— all  who  could  be  induced  to  leave  their  homes.  The  benevolent  projectors  of  the  en- 
terprise found  a  formidable  and  unlooked-for  obstacle  to  the  establishment  of  their 
plans,  in  the  selfishness  which  was  manifested  by  the  friends  of  a  few  of  the  wounded. 
They  had  found  their  sick  relatives  productive  of  a  rich  revenue,  of  family  supplies, 
contributed  by  benevolent  visitors,  and  they  were  not  willing  to  have  them  removed 
to  the  hospital,  since  their  absence  would  deprive  them  of  their  means  of  living  without 
work. 

A  room  at  the  City  Hall  was  occupied  by  Mr.  George  P.  Wilson,  the  City  Missionary. 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  33 

It  was  made  a  depot  for  all  the  medicines,  bandages,  and  articles  of  food  and  clothing 
which  were  sent  in  for  the  sufferers,  and  a  rendezvous  for  those  engaged  in  distributing 
them,  and  otherwise  employed  under  his  direction.  The  services  of  several  assistants 
were  required  in  the  room,  which  was  at  times  thronged  by  applicants  for  aid.  The 
contributions  of  articles  required  to  relieve  those  suffering  from  poverty  or  wounds, 
were  quite  generous,  and  such  necessary  articles  as  were  not  contributed  were  supplied 
from  the  funds  raised.  The  missionary  himself  was  untiring  in  his  labors.  From  morning 
till  night  he  passed  from  house  to  house,  personally  inspecting  the  condition  of  the 
needy,  and  dispensing  comfort  to  all.  At  the  distribution-room  he  was  assisted  by  two 
young  ladies  and  a  young  man,  whose  continual  attention  was  required.  All  of  the 
contributions  and  the  purchases  brought  were  there  arranged  for  distribution.  All  ap- 
plicants, in  the  absence  of  the  missionary,  were  referred  to  the  ward  committees,  and  no 
articles  were  delivered  except  upon  their  order.  Hundreds  have  been  aided  by  the 
missionary  and  his  assistants,  and  much  suffering  has  been  prevented,  and  much  trouble 
alleviated  by  this  means. 

The  mayor  gave  his  carefuj  personal  supervision  to  such  cases  as  came  under  his  ob- 
servation, and  with  the  general  Relief  Committee,  co-operated  most  successfully  with 
the  almoners  of  the  missionary  department. 

Mayor  Saunders,  for  days  after  the  accident,  was  constantly  receiving  letters,  of  which 
the  following  is  a  specimen  :  — 

"New  York,  Jan.  13. 
•'  To  Hon.  Daniel  Saunders,  Jr.,  Mayor  of  Lawrence  : 

"  Having  seen,  in  this  morning's  edition  of  the  Herald  that  a  girl  named  Isabella 
Martin  has  been  wounded  in  the  late  lamentable  occurrence  at  Lawrence,  and  having 
a  sister  of  that  name  working  somewhere  in  Massachusetts,  I  am  apprehensive  it  might 
be  her.  I  will  feel  forever  thankful  if  you  will  ascertain,  and  let  me  know,  by  inquir- 
ing from  her  brother  whether  she  is  my  sister  or  not.  You  can  easily  do  so  by  asking 
her  if  she  is  from  Mullingar,  Westmeath  County,  Ireland. 

''Your  obedient  servant,  EUGENE  MARTYN. 

"  P.S.  —  I  will  feel  thankful  if  you  will  let  me  know  the  extent  of  her  injuries,  and  if 
they  are  fatal.  E.  M." 

It  was  a  heavy,  arid  very  frequently  a  sorrowful,  duty  to  answer  all  these  letters.  Ap- 
plications for  aid  were  constantly  received  from  those  who  were  wounded,  and  such  as 
had  funeral  expenses  to  pay  for  their  friends  who  were  killed.  These  letters,  after 
proper  investigation,  if  found  to  be  genuine  subjects  for  relief,  were  answered  as  soon 
as  practicable,  and  material  aid  forwarded. 

The  clergymen  of  Lawrence  deserve  much  praise.  They  were  omnipresent  from  the 
time  of  the  accident.  Their  labors  were  incessant,  and  they  proved  themselves  indefat- 
igable. Though  sermons  for  the  Sunday  following,  and  appropriate  to  the  calamity, 
wore  called  for  and  furnished,  and  numerous  funerals  were  attended,  they  still  found 
time  to  render  material  aid,  Avorking  upon  the  ruins,  and  at  the  brakes  of  the  engines, 
and  breathing  words  of  consolation  and  encouragement  at  the  bedside  of  the  sufferers. 
Their  labor  was  without  money  and  without  price,  and  their  aid  was  found  invaluable. 

Among  those  who  arc  deserving  of  especial  mention  here,  as  having  most  successfully 
improved  the  opportunity  afforded  them  for  displaying  their  humanity,  was  Mr.  Samuel 
Morey,  who  first  volunteered  to  act  as  keeper  in  the  dead-room.  He  filled  his  painful 
office  to  its  termination,  with  great  ability,  and  then  devoted  himself  to  the  wounded  at 
the  hospital.  His  associate,  Mr.  Daniel  L.  Plumer,  also  deserves  notice.  On  the  night 
of  the  accident  lie  walked  to  Lawrence  from  North  Andover,  and  did  efficient  service 
5 


34  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

through  that  terrible  night.  He  offered  his  services  at  the  dead-room  as  long  as  they 
might  be  needed,  and  would  receive  no  pay.  As  he  is  a  man  in  humble  circumstances, 
his  self-sacrificing  exertions  won  for  him  the  golden  opinions  of  all.  His  acts  will  weigh 
heavier  than  the  liberal  contributions  of  the  favored  sons  of  fortune. 

Some  of  the  earlier  and  larger  contributions  to  the  Relief  Fund  have  already  been 
given.  The  following  letters  and  incidents  of  a  peculiar  nature  will  be  read  with  in- 
terest. . 

"  New  Ha  vex,  Conn.,  Jan.,  14,  1860. 
"  Hon.  D.  Saunders,  Jr.,  Mayor  of  Lawrence,  Mass: 

"  Dear  Sir  :  —  Enclosed  you  will  please  find  a  check  on  the  "  Suffolk  Bank,"  of  Bos- 
ton, for  $310.54,  which  we  are  requested  by  the  young  women  and  others  in  our  employ 
to  forward  to  you,  to  be  applied  to  the  relief  of  the  sufferers  by  the  late  accident  in  your 
city,  in  such  manner  as  will  be  productive  of  the  greatest  amount  of  good.  They  a'lso 
desire  us,  through  you,  to  convey  to  the  bereaved  friends  of  the  deceased,  and  to  the 
still-suffering  victims  of  this  terrible  calamity,  their  deep  and  heart-felt  sympathy  with 
them. 

"  Permit  us  also  to  join  in  these  sentiments  of  sorrow  and  sympathy,  and  to  express 
the  hope  that  the  lessons  taught  to  all  by  the  circumstances  of  this  accident  may  be 
productive  of  great  future  good,  at  least  in  some  degree  commensurate  with  the  magni- 
tude of  the  evil. 

"  In  imitation  of  the  example  set  us  above,  we  have  the  pleasure  of  enclosing  an  ad- 
ditional check,  as  our  mite  towards  the  same  object. 

'•  Very  respectfully  yours,  WINCHESTER  &  DAVIES." 

The  "  additional  check  "  was  for  $100. 

"  Mayor  Saunders,  —  Kind  Sir: —  Enclosed  please  find  a  draft  for  $13,  a  sum  which 
the  members  of  my  school  (Springfield  English  and  Classical  Institute),  some  fifty-six 
in  number,  choose  to  offer  as  their  mite  to  the  sufferers  of  your  city,  in  preference  to 
taking  a  sleigh-ride,  which  they  have  contemplated. 

"Respectfully,  LAURA  W.  STEBBLNS." 

January  20,  1860. 

"  Hon.  Daniel  Saunders,  Mayor  of  Lawrence : 

"  Sir:  —  Enclosed  is  ten  cents,  in  postage  stamps,  the  contribution  of  two  little  girls, 
who  feel  for  the  sufferers  in  your  recent  calamity.  Respectfully, 

"Jan.  llth.  "C.  L.  C." 

A  lady  sent  three  sheets,  with  the  following  note : — 

"  These  three  old  sheets,  for  bandages,  were  manufactured  in  India,  and  cost  seventy- 
five  cents  a  yard,  years  ago.  They  were  bought  before  sham  factories  were  built  in  this 
country.  Although  they  are  worn,  they  are  soft.  Like  the  widow's  mite,  they  may  bo 
acceptable." 

Among  other  articles  received,  were  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  linen  sheets,  with 
a  supply  of  lint,  from  the  owners  of  the  steamer  Mcnemon  Sanford. 

The  Italians  worshipping  at  St.  John's  (Moon  Street)  Catholic  Church,  near  North 
Square,  Boston,  who  earn  their  support  by  street  music,  on  the  Sunday  succeeding  the 
disaster  contributed  the  sum  of  twenty-five  dollars  in  aid  of  the  sufferers. 

A  day  or  two  before  the  accident,  arrangements  had  been  made  to  have  collections 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  35 

taken  up  in  all  the  churches  of  Lawrence,  in  aid  of  the  poor.  These  were  accordingly 
taken  up  on  the  Sabbath  succeeding  the  catastrophe.  The  Episcopal  Church  raised 
about  one  thousand  dollars,  and  others  contributed  liberally. 

One  of  the  most  useful  of  the  donations  was  that  from  Chelsea,  collected  under  the 
auspices  of  a  benevolent  and  accomplished  lady,  who,  actuated  by  a  Christian  sympathy 
for  the  unfortunate  of  her  sex,  sufferers  by  the  great  calamity,  and  acting  under 
the  adage,  "  The  better  the  day,  the  better  the  deed,"  went  forth  among  her  acquaint- 
ances on  Sunday  morning,  and  solicited  contributions  of  clothing  for  the  destitute. 
Her  appeals  were,  with  one  exception,  promptly  answered  with  generons  donations. 
The  import  of  her  mission  once  known,  others  followed  her  example  ;  and  in  the  af- 
ternoon, the  charitably  disposed  in  all  parts  of  the  city  were  informed  of  the  movement. 
Clergymen  announced  from  their  pulpits  the  place  where  contributions  would  be  re- 
ceived ;  and  by  ten  o'clock  at  night,  the  heart  of  the  lady  philanthropist  was  gladdened 
by  the  sight  of  hundreds  of  parcels  of  bedding,  under  garments,  sheets,  and  other  useful  • 
articles.  The  parlor  and  dining-room  were  piled  with  acceptable  packages.  Several 
gentlemen  volunteered  their  services  to  pack  the  goods,  and  a  teamster  was  found  who 
conveyed  the  cases  and  barrels  containing  them  to  the  railroad  depot. 

In  nearly  all  the  churches  of  Lawrence  the  Ladies'  Sewing  Circles  for  a  week 
after  the  accident  were  actively  engaged  in  plying  their  needles  for  the  benefit  of  the 
sufferers.  In  some,  where  no  such  organization  existed,  temporary  ones  were  formed 
for  the  purpose.  At  the  Lawrence  Street  Congregational  Church  (Rev.  C.E.Fisher's), 
some  fifteen  or  twenty  ladies  met  for  several  days,  in  the  vestry,  and  manufactured  in 
that  time  over  one  thousand  yards  of  unbleached  cloth  into  sheets,  shirts,  and  every  arti- 
cle which  the  fabric  was  suitable  to  be  made  up  into,  for  the  relief  of  the  destitute. 
They  deserve  much  praise  for  their  co-operation  in  the  relief  of  the  suffering. 

Among  the  contributions  was  one  of  $81  from  the  operatives  of  No.  5,  Amoskeag 
Mills,  Manchester.  The  letter  containing  the  sum  was  written  by  one  of  the  opera- 
tives, and  was  one  of  the  most  impressive  received.  It  breathed  a  spirit  of  condolence 
and  sympathy  commendable  to  the  writer  and  contributors  and  most  welcome  to  the  suf- 
fering. 

The  Moro  Lodge  of  Sons  of  Malta  of  Lawrence,  held  a  meeting  and  raised  a  collec- 
tion of  $105  for  the  sufferers,  which  was  subsequently  swelled  to  $150  and  more. 

On  Tuesday,  Jan.  24th,  the  following  address  was  published  by  the  Relief  Com- 
mittee : — 


City  of  Lawrence,  Jan.  23,  1860 

"  Office  of  the  Committee  of  Rel 


GO.) 
ief.| 


"  To  the  Public  : — The  undersigned,  Mayor  of  Lawrence  ami  Chairman  of  the  Commit- 
tee of  Relief  and  the  several  members  thereof,  having  in  charge  the  distribution  of 
funds  contributed  for  the  aid  of  the  Pemberton  Mill  sufferers,  in  behalf  not  only  of 
those  who  have  been  directly  the  recipients  of  the  charity  called  out  by  the  recent 
calamity  but  of  every  citizen  of  Lawrence,  tender  to  a  generous  public,  gratitude  and 
thanks,  the  fulness  of  which  overflows  every  heart. 

"  No  calamity  in  the  history  of  the  country  so  startled  the  community  nor  carried  so  in- 
tense sorrow  and  desolation  into  so  many  homes ;  and  no  misfortune  has  ever  elicited  so 
intense  sympathy.  Our  cry  was  no  sooner  heard  than  charity  bearing  upon  its  pinions 
comfort  and  consolation,  hovered  at  our  doors.  From  every  point  came  hope,  aid,  and 
tender-hearted  kindness,  cheering  and  encourasiinn;  us  in  our  labors,  and  li«;htenin<r  the 
burden  oppressing  us.  Substantial  and  timely  contributions  of  money  and  clothing  were 
hurried  forward  from  all  quarters.  The  old  and  the  young,  little  children  and  aged  men 
and  women,  associations  of  various  names,  the  church   and  the  theatre,  acquaintances 


36 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 


and  strangers,  the  Christian  and  the  Jew,  those  near  us  and  those  remote,  all  vied  with 
each  other  in  acts  of  generous  charity,  and  in  deeds  of  love  and  of  mercy.  The  widow's 
mite  and  the  rich  man's  full  purse  were  alike  extended  to  us. 

'•  When  all  have  done  so  much,  it  might  seem  invidious  to  particularize,  yet  we  cannot 
forbear  to  bring  into  more  prominent  notice  the  spirit  that  prompted  the  "New  England 
Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Manufactures,"  to  render  so  effectual  and  so  ample  assist- 
ance. This  association  was  the  first,  though  none  were  far  behind,  in  bringing  forward 
mail  rial  aid,  and  has  already  subscribed  nearly  twenty  thousand  dollars  for  the  relief  of 
the  operatives  who  were  so  suddenly  stricken  down  at  the  scene  of  their  labors.  Nor  can 
v/e  omit  to  mention  in  terms  of  high  praise,  the  self-sacrificing  spirit  which  on  the  terri- 
ble night  of  the  10th  inst,  brought  to  our  assistance  so  many  and  so  brave  friends  from 
every  city  and  town  within  a  score  of  miles — physicians,  firemen,  mechanics,  laborers, 
yea,  men  of  every  station  in  life — men  with  strong  muscle,  and  women  with  tender 
hearts  and  willing  hands. 

"  So  generous  have  been  the  contributions  in  money  and  clothing  from  every  quarter, 
we  are  most  happy  in  believing  that  what  has  been  already  sent,  with  what  is  now 
pledged  and  already  subscribed,  or  now  in  the  hands  of  persons  who  have  kindly  solicited 
subscriptions,  will  be  sufficient  tor  the  wants  of  those  really  needy,  and  those  to  be  pro- 
vided  for  in  continuance.  If  not,  the  liberality  of  our  own  citizens  will  not  permit  any 
family  or  individual  to  want  the  aid  and  comfort  which  their  necessities  may  require. 

"  By  no  means  would  we  by  any  undue  prominence  of  our  own  suffering  and  needs, 
great  as  has  been  our  calamity,  divert  from  other  worthy  objects  of  charity,  for  such  there 
are  in  every  community,  the  outpourings  of  that  philanthropy  which  has  been  so  effectually 
awakened  in  our  behalf,  and  has  been  so  thoroughly  manifested  towards  us. 

"DANIEL  SAUNDERS,  Jr., 

"  Mavor  and  Chairman 
«  CHARLES  S.  STORROW,  1 
"  HENRY  K.  OL1VEB, 
"WILLIAM  C.  CHAPIN, 
«  JOHN  C.  HOADLEY, 


>  Committee." 


Daniel  Saunders,  Jr.,  the  chairman  of  this  committee  and  the  mayor  of  Lawrence, 
deserves  the  gratitude  and  respect  of  all  concerned.  His  labors  were  incessant  from  the 
time  of  the  accident  until  the  dead  were  buried,  the  wounded  cared  for,  and  a  liberal 
eharity  dispensed.  He  heard  every  one  who  applied  for  aid,  and  performed  all  the  dn- 
ti  :s  of  Ills  office  kindly  yet  discreetly.  As  long  as  the  great  calamity  is  remembered 
the  efficient  service  of  Mayor  Saunders  will  be  a  credit  to  the  city  and  an  honor  added 
to  his  name. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  money  contributions  received  by  Mayor  Saunders,  up  to 
Wednesday,  January  24th : — 

LIST  OF  CONTRIBUTIONS. 


New  England  Society,  by  L.  Edinands,  $2000  00 

"            "            "         by  J.  D.  W.  Joy,  30C0  00 

Suffolk  Club,  Boston.  2000  00 

Whittemore  Belcber  &  Co.,  6  00 

Naumkeng  Encampment,  I.  0.  of  O.  F.,  25  00 

Lathrop  Luddington  &  Co.  and  Employees,  300  00 

Joseph  Jcwett.  N.  Y.,  2  00 

Edward  Harris,  Woonsocket,  100  00 

W.  S.  M.  Camp,  Middleton,  Conn..  10  00 

Wm.  Gray,  Boston,  1000  00 

Shagee  &  Tappan,  Boston,  20  00 
F.  Hall  &  Co..  Commercial  Advertiser,  N.  Y.,       10  00 

Boston  Corn  Exchange  and  its  Members,  660  00 

Dorcmus  &  Nixon  and  others,  N.  Y,  778  00 

Elbert  Clemens,  Danville.  N.  J.,  3  00 


Unknown,  1  00 

Winchester  &  Davies,  New  Haven,  100  00 
Employees  of  Winchester  &  Davies,  New  Haven,  310  54 

Davis  &  Furber,  North  Andover,  100  00 

F   W.  Choat,  Beverly,  Mass.,  20  00 

I.  M.  Idc,  Jr.,  Taunton,  10  00 

E.  J.  Woolsey,  Astoria,  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  250  00 

S  W.  Winchester,  N.  Y.,  39  00 

Occupants  of  Washington  Market,  N.  Y.,  303  00 

Church  of  the  Unity,  Boston,  200  00 

Evangelical  Church,  Framingham,  57  00 

G.  G.  Evans,  Philadelphia,  1000  00 

Rev.  Mr.  Haskics,  St.  Johns  Church,  Boston,  100  00 

George  Lawton,  Waltham,  Mass.,  100  00 

Moses  Tencey,  Boston,  25  00 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 


37 


John  P.  Peabody,  Salem,  Mass., 
Rev.  M.  P.  Dougherty,  Cambridge, 
Charity,  Boston, 
Chickering  &  Sous,  Boston, 
C.  II.  Adams  &  Co.,  Boston, 
Henry  Benda  &  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Win.  G.  Billings,  Boston, 


10  00 

450  00 

5  00 

200  00 

100  00 

10  00 

50  00 


New  England  Hoofing  and  Manfg.  Co.,  Boston,  50  00 
Dobson  &  Jordan.  Insurance  Company,  250  00 
Proprietors  and  Employees  of  Andover  Publish- 
ing and  Printing  House,  30  00 
Wm.  Curtis  Noyes,  N.  Y.,  50  00 
F.  G.  LittlefieJd'  and  friends,  Boston,  25  00 
John  L.  Stephenson,  Boston,  10  00 
Lyman  Mills  Employees,  Holyoke,  225  00 
Peter  Smith,  Andover,  30  50 
Forest  River  Lead  Company,  Salem,  200  00 
Mrs.  Theodore  Chase.  50  00 
John  \V.  Harding,  Long  Meadow,  1  00 
Whittcn,  Hopkins,  &  Co.,  Boston,  25  00 
Theodore  Bliss,  Philadelphia,  50  00 
F.  Gordon,  Plymouth,  Mass.,  10  00 
E.  E.  S.,  East  Hartford,  5  00 
Northfield,  Mass.,  5  00 
C.  E.  Aldrieh  &  Co.,  Boston,  50  00 
J.  A.  Frink,  Cincinnati,  1  00 
Orphans  and  Familv  of  DeYeux  College,  Suspen- 
sion Bridge,  N.'Y.,  10  00 
Sands  &  Byus,  Andover,  10  00 

B.  B.  Converse,  Boston,  6  00 
Employees  of  Gas  Metre  Factory  of  Messrs.  Cade, 

Hopper,  &  Gratz,  Philadelphia,  115  00 

Operatives  of  Marland  Manfg.  Co.,  Andover,  100  00 
Haruden  &  Co.  Express  contributed  by  various 

individuals,  45  50 
Operatives  of  New  Market  Manufacturing  Co.,  263    90 

Second  Universalist  Society,  Manchester,  5  00 

Mrs.  Benj.  Saunders,  Nashua,  5  00 

Capt.  Percival,  U.  S.  Navy,  35  00 

Waltham  Social  Club,  100  00 

Rhode  Island  Engine  Co.,  Pawtucket,  100  00 

Occupants  of  Faneuil  Hall  Market,  Boston,  500  00 

S.  Cohen  &  Co.,  Boston,  15  00 

Wm.  Sutton,  Salem,  37  00 

Cypress  Camp,  I.  O.  S.  M.,  Newburyport,  50  00 

Employees  Eagle  Mills,  West  Chelmsford,  81  00 

Italians  of  Boston,  30  00 

J.  B.  McMahon,  Boston,  100  00 

Beals,  Green,  &  Co.,  Boston  Post.  50  00 

Operatives  of  Lake  Mills,  Lake  Yillage,  77  00 

Members  Boston  Corn  Exchange,  additional,  100  00 

II.  F.  Morgan,  N.  Y.,  25  00 

C.  S.  Faulkner,  Keene,  N.  II.,  25  00 
Messrs.  English  &  Moran,  Proprietors  of  the 

National  Theatre,  Boston,  222  50 

Rev.  Moses  Patten,  2  00 

Peter  Lawson,  Lowell,  10  00 

W.  F.  Freeman,  Boston,  75  00 

Sympathizer  with  misery,  10  00 

Doremus  &  Nixon,  N.  Y.,  additional,  165  00 

Solomon  Piper,  Boston.  20  00 

Tremont  Lodge,  No.  15^  I.  O.  of  O.  F.,  30  00 
Citizens  of  Providence,  forwarded  by  Jabez 

Knight,  1000  00 

Townsend,  Mallard.  &  Cowing,  25  00 

James  P.  Tanner,  Pittsburgh,  25  00 
Persons  connected  with  Neponset  Cotton  Factory, 

Canton,  S2  00 

Andrew  Carney,  Boston,  200  00 

Pittsburgh  Club,  Pittsburgh,  300  00 
Mutual  Relief  Lodge,  No.  83,  I.  O.  of  0.  F., 

Haverhill,  25  00 

Joseph  Leavit,  Salem,  10  00 

Samuel  Day,  Salem.  5  00 
Employees  in  Mule  Spinning-Room,  Mill  No.  2, 

Manchester  Corporation,  Manchester,  N.H.  40  00 
A  Lady,  Concord,  N.  H.,  5  00 
Henry  W.  Dutton  &  Son,  Transcript  Office,  Bos- 
ton, 100  00 
Mrs.  Francis  Rupp,  Roxbury,  100  00 
Corn  Exchange  Association,  Philadelphia,  600  00 
Citizens  of  Quincy,  by  J.  Alba  Davis,  100  50 
Q.  N.,  Boston,  20  00 
C.  F.,  Boston,  1  00 
A.  R.  Nye,  Boston,  5  00 
G.  R.,  Boston,  3  00 


100 
5 

10 

20 

3 

5 

1 

13 

10 


E.  B.  S.,  Trov,  N.  Y.,  3  00 

Wm.  H.  Taylor,  New  Bedford,  100  00 

Naumkeag  Steam  Cotton  Mill,  Salem,  1000  00 

A.  D.,  U.  S.  Pensioner,  1812,  N.  Y.,  5  00 
Mass.  Division  Sons  of  Temperance,  Boston,  100  00 
Citizens  of  Groveland,                                                 50  00 

B.  Saunders,  Nashua,  50  00 
Jackson  Manfg.  Co.  Operatives,  Nashua,  186  57 
Citizens  of  Amesbury  and  Salisbury,  Mill  Village, 

J.  G.  Whitten.  207  25 

Operatives  of  Amoskeag  Mill.  No.  3,  Manchester,  1 75  00 

"    '  "     4.         -  134  00 

Operatives  of  Weaving-Rooms,  No.  1,  2,  and  3. 

Manchester  Print  Works,  53 

Powwow  River  Lodge,  No.  90. 1.  O.  of  O.  F.,  Ames- 
bury,  25 
Boston  Encampment  Knights  Templar, 
G.  F.  Archabald,  Boston, 
A  Bookkeeper, 

Edward  A.  Raymond,  Boston, 
P.  B.  Turner,  Quincy, 
A  Laborer,  Holyoke, 
Anonymous, 
Scholars  of  Springfield  English  and  Classical  In 

stitute, 
A  Jew, 

Occupants  of  Faneuil  Hall  Market,  (additional),  30 
Manchester  Cornet  Band,  Manchester,  N.  II.,  340 
Hiberma  Universal  Benevolent  Society,  Dover,  50 
Eureka  Lodge,  F.  A.  A.  M..  New  Bedford,  25 

Warren  Street  Synagogue,  B.  Nelson  President,  50 
Operatives  of  Pbre   ix  Mill,  Shirley,  30 

C.  W.  E.,  LV.io.,,  5 
Angs  Warkenhager,  N.  Y.,  1 
Ashtenfleld.  Boston,  5 
Operatives  New  England  Glass  Factory,  E.  Cam- 
bridge,                                                             209 

Mrs.  King,  Cambridge,  5 

Express  Companies  of  Boston,  800 

Lowell  Irish  Benevolent  Society,  100 

Ladies  of  Cambridge,  forwarded  by  Emory  Y/ash- 

burn,  58 

Francis  Draper.  East  Cambridge,  50 

Edward  G.  Parker  and  Lady,  20 

P.  II.  Ammidown,  Boston.  5 

Chandler  &  Co  ,  Boston,  75 

Members  of  N.  Y.  Stock  Exchange,  N.  Y.,  435 

Operatives  of  Sutton's  Mills  and  Reed  Shop,  100 
Cornell,  Hall  &  Co.,  N.  Y.,  100 

Citizens  of  Providence  by  .Taw  Knight.  (Mayor).lOOO 
Geo.  C.  Ballou  &  Son,  Woousoeket,  R.  I.,  '  '  100 
Anonymous,  Boston,  3 

Rev.  O'Conovan,  his  private  subscription,  50 

Operatives  of  No.  1  and  2  Mills  and  Dyehouse, 

Amoskeag  New  Mills,  129 

Male  Operatives,  Stark  Mills,  Manchester,  136 

E.  G.  Friend.  Gloucester,  5 

W.  Wyman,  Lowell,  5 

Charles  Newcomb,  Quincy,  1"> 

Citizens  of  Swampseott,  40 

Emploj  ees  of  Amoskeag  New  Mills,  cloth  room,  12 
First  Parish  of  Lexington,  67 

Globe  Steam  Mills.  Newburyport,  210 

S  &  J.  Myers,  Boston,  20 

Dispatch  Hose  Co.,  No.  2,  Boston,  20 

United  Presbyterian  Society,  Oak  Street.  Law- 
rence, 11  24 
Walter  S.  Hunter,  Washington,  D.  C,  (proceeds 

of  a  lecture).  :,    50 

American  Boat  Company  of  Lowell,  50  00 

Committee  of  Arrangements  for  a  complimen- 
tary dinner  to  Baylie  Peyton.  Philadelphia,  212  72 
A  widow's  mite,  5  00 

Adams'  Express  Company,  N.  Y., (additional),  1000  00 
Mount  Hope  Lodge,  F.  A.  A.  M.,  Fall  River,  50  00 
Operatives  of  Brookdale  Mills,  South  Danvers,  25  00 
Bamicoat  Engine  Co.  No.  11  of  Boston,  40  00 

Commercial  Advertiser.  N.  Y.,  50  00 

Howard  Lodge,  I.  O.  of  O.  P.,  Charlestowu,  25  00 

Minnehaha  Club,  Amesbury  and  Salisbury  vil- 
lage, 108  00 
Kinsley's  &  Co  "s  Express,  Philadelphia.  450  00 
Employees  of  Norway  Iron  Works.  Boston,  81  00 
Universalist  Church",  Middletou.  Conn.,  30  00 
D.  N.,  Boston,  5  00 
A  Workingman,  Boston,  2  00 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 


H.  A.  W.,  Fitchburg,  6  00 

Baptist  Church,  Old  Cambridge,  51  08 

C.  W.  S.,  Boston,  3  00 
Officers  and  Employees  of  Western  Railroad,       675  65 

Citizens  of  Brookline,  150  00 

Theodore  Leonard,  Greenfield,  Mass.,  9  00 

S.  A.  F.,  Boston,  3  00 

Win.  II.  Hincher,  Lynchburg,  Va.,  5  00 

First  Parish,  Portland,  Me.,  204  22 

Employees  of  Pepperell  Mill,  Biddeford,  255  00 


Rev.  Dr.  Albro"s  Church,  Cambridge,  100  85 

Coughlan,  Langley  &  Co..  N.  Y.,  25  00 
Crew  of  schooner  Flying  Dart,  lying  at  Swamp- 

scott,  10  00 

William  D.  C.  Ellis,  North  Andover,  13  25 

Dr.  Lewis  Williams,  Pomfret,  Conn.,  12  00 

M.  L.  E.,  Manchester,  N.  II.,  3  00 

Mrs.  Ann  G.  Morrill,  Concord,  15  00 

Printer's  Union,  Boston,  100  00 


OBSERVANCE    OF    THE    EVENT. 

The  great  calamity  was  the  theme  of  the  citizens  as  they  met  in  the  street,  and  of 
the  pulpit  and  the  forum.  Wherever  the  voice  of  the  orator  was  heard,  its  horrors  were 
rehearsed  and  its  lessons  enforced.  In  Lawrence,  on  the  succeeding  Sabbath,  every 
preacher  but  one  delivered  a  discourse  especially  adapted  to  the  occasion.  These  ser- 
mons, which  were  listened  to  by  crowded  congregations,  ascribed  various  causes  while 
they  appointed  similar  lessons  for  the  calamity.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  in  five  of 
the  discourses  the  same  passage  of  Scripture  served  as  a  text. 


The  Voice  of  the  Pulpit. 

In  the  following  pages  we  give  a  kaleidoscopic  view  of  the  theology  of  Lawrence  in 
connection  with  the  event.  It  is  made  up  of  carefully  prepared  abstracts  of  the  sermons 
preached  that  day  : — 

REV.    HENRY   F.    LANK,    AT    THE     FIRST   BAPTIST   CHURCH. 

Text: —  "  Of  those  eighteen,  upon  whom  the  tower  in  Siloam  fell,  and  slew  them,  think 
ye  that  they  were  sinners  above  all  men  that  dwelt  in  Jerusalem  ?  I  tell  you,  Nay  ; 
but  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise,  perish." — Luke  13:  4,  5. 

Mr.  Lane  began  by  saying  that  if  Jesus  in  his  own  person  were  the  preacher  of  to-day, 
he  would  read  his  text  as  follows :  "  Think  ye  that  those  upon  whom  the  walls  of  the 
Pcmberton  fell  and  slew  them,  think  ye  that  they  were  sinners  above  all  men  that  dwelt 
in  Lawrence?  I  tell  you  Nay;  but  except  ye  repent  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish." 
When  the  tower  of  Siloam  fell,  we  may  well  suppose  that  inquiries  were  raised  essen- 
tially the  same  as  those  that  have  been  on  every  tongue  and  in  every  heart  in  our  cfty 
for  the  past  few  days.  Some  of  these  inquiries  have  reference  to  the  relations  of  the 
present  life  and  the  responsibilities  and  sympathies  of  men  toward  their  fellows.  Oth- 
ers have  reference  to  the  relations  of  the  future  life  of  the  soul,  of  the  accountability  of 
man  to  his  Maker,  and  the  disposition  of  God  toward  men.  The  former  class  are 
already  under  the  consideration  of  those  who  will  seek,  as  far  as  men  are  able,  the  solu- 
tion of  the  secondary  causes  that  have  resulted  in  such  deplorable  misery.  The  latter 
class  of  inquirers  belong  to  this  place  and  this  day,  and  answers  must  be  sought  for  in 
the  principles  of  the  religion,  for  the  support  of  which  this  house  has  been  dedicated,  in 
connection  with  the  Divine  attribute.  By  the  light  of  the  text  we  may  interpret  the 
afflicting  providence  as  being  permitted  by  the  will  of  God  to  serve  as  a  warning  for  the 
living.  It  is  in  reality  a  type  of  what  all  will  deserve  and  what  all  will  meet.  Many  of 
those  who  have  not  been  involved  in  the  calamity  are  worse  sinners  than  some  who  have 
fallen.  The  calamity  is  therefore  no  proof  that  those  who  have  suffered  were  sinners 
above  others.  They  were  indeed  sinners,  and  no  injustice  has  been  done  those  who 
have  fallen  by  the  permissive  will  of  a  righteous  God.  The  penitent  and  impenitent 
were  involved  in  the. same  temporal  death,  and  all  the  living,  sooner  or  later,  will  ex- 
perience essentially  the  same.  The  penitent  have  been  saved  from  the  perdition  of  soul. 
They,  as  some  indeed  sang,  have  "  gone  home  to  glory,"  but  the  impenitent  have  per- 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  39 

ished,  soul  and  body,  in  accordance  with  the  Divine  decree,  "  The  soul  that  sinneth,  it 
shall  surely  die."  Look,  then,  on  this  dread  calamity  as  a  type,  not  only  of  what  all  de- 
serve, but  what  all  will  meet.  All  of  us  must  experience  the  death  of  body  for  all  have 
sinned,  and  all  the  impenitent  will  suffer  the  perdition  of  the  soul.  "  Repent,  for  except 
ye  repent,  yc  shall  all  likewise  perish." 

REV.    DANL.    TENNEY,   AT   THE   CENTRAL   CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCII. 

Text :  —  "  Yc  shall  know  that  I  have  not  done  without  cause  all  that  I  have  done,  saith 
the  Lord  God."— Ezekiel,  14  :  23. 

As  a  thunderbolt  descending  from  the  midst  of  an  unclouded  sky,  said  he,  has  the 
great  event  of  the  last  week  fallen  upon  our  bewildered,  awe-stricken  spirits.  Was  its 
only  design  (for  it  came  not  without  a  design,  the  shaft  was  not  aimless,)  —  was  its  only 
design  to  startle  and  shock  and  paralyze  ?  And  shall  its  sequel  be  that,  in  the  reaction, 
the  jiulse  shall  beat  all  the  more  feverishly,  and  our  race  after  earthly  bubbles  be  only 
the  more  eager  and  insane  ?  Can  it  be  so  ?  Yes,  it  can  be,  and  so  strange  are  our 
natures,  it  will  be,  if  we  seek  not  light  from  heaven  to  fall  on  this  awful  judgment  and 
reveal  to  us  its  aim.  One  thing  we  do  know,  for  God  has  told  us  so,  that  he  does  noth- 
ing as  a  mere  exercise  of  arbitrary  power.  He  does  not  sport  with  infinite  resources, 
nor  scatter  thunderbolts  at  random.  He  is  wise  as  he  is  powerful  and  gracious.  He 
does  not  afflict  willingly. 

One  design  of  God,  in  sending  terrible  judgments  upon  his  creatures,  is  doubtless  to 
impress  them  with  his  own  irresistible  poiver  and  their  impotence,  and  this  is  a  gracious 
design.  When  the  omnipotent  One  lays  his  finger  upon  man,  he  feels  —  lie  is  obliged  to 
feel — that  he  has  no  power  to  contend  with  the  Almighty.  His  plans  are  all  laid  for 
worldly  gain  —  his  machinery  is  all  in  motion  —  hundreds  are  doing  his  bidding,  and 
pouring  wealth  into  his  coffers.  In  an  instant,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  by  the  per- 
mission of  the  Being  whose  will  he  may  not  have  thought  of  consulting,  every  wheel 
stops,  every  hand  is  stilled,  and  his  treasures  are  buried  in  one  undistinguishable  mass. 
Then  the  amazed  and  disappointed  man  looks  on  with  palsied  tongue,  but  from  the  depth 
of  his  spirit  comes  a  voice,  "  God  is  powerful  —  man  is  vanity."  Ten  thousand  men  had 
gathered  round  yonder  scene  of  ruin.  With  strong  hands  and  manly  hearts  they  rush 
to  rescue  the  sufferers,  whose  cries  for  help  rouse  them  to  almost  superhuman  exertions. 
"  We  will  save  you  !"  they  confidentially  promise,  and  press  to  their  work.  But  what 
can  ten  thousand  men  do  to  resist  the  decree  of  the  Almighty  ?  The  flames  are  kindled, 
and  the  throng  fall  back  and  stand  and  gaze  as  powerless  as  an  army  of  insects.  "  God 
is  mighty  and  man  is  weak,"  was  the  thought  that  thrilled  and  awed  the  multitude  as 
they  thus  stood. 

Secondly,  God's  judgments  do  not  usually  come  in  a  miraculous  and  independent 
way,  but  in  fulfilment  of  an  invisible  law.  Their  design  is  to  teach  us  that  the  laws  of 
God  cannot  be  broken  with  impunity.  God  governs  by  law.  If  a  man  thrusts  his  hand 
into  the  flame  he  will  be  burned.  If  the  joints  of  a  ship  are  made  insecure  the  storm 
will  overwhelm  it,  be  the  cargo  ever  so  valuable  or  the  lives  ever  so  precious.  If  the 
foundations  of  a  factory  are  not  laid  deep  and  broad  and  its  walls  are  not  prepared  for 
their  designed  pressure,  they  will  fall. 

Thirdly,  God's  judgments  teach  us  that  all  hopes  of  happiness  built  on  an  earthly 
base,  are  vain.  "  Vanity  of  vanities — all  is  vanity  ! "  the  disappointed  man  cries  out, 
as  his  plans  are  thwarted  and  his  hopes  dashed.  But  God's  design  is  a  gracious  one  in 
this.  It  is  not  to  harden  the  heart  to  all  joy,  and  paralyze  all  his  hopes,  but  it  is  to 
lead  men  to  build  on  an  immortal  base,  and  then  his  joys  are  as  secure  as  the  throne 
of  the  Eternal.     Is  it  cruel  in  God  to  make  us  see  this  ?     In  nothing  is  he  so  kind.     If 


40  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

this  severe  blow,  that  lias  almost  stunned  this  community,  may  only  lead  them  to  lay  np 
a  treasure  in  hcave,n,  to  make  the  only  God  their  friend  and  portion,  then  "will  it  prove 
our  chiefest  blessing. 

In  concluding  this  discourse  our  thoughts  again  run  back  over  the  events  of  the  week, 
and  as  they  do  so  we  tremble.  What  ma}'  be  before  us  we  dare  not  prophesy,  since 
changes  so  fearful  could  come  so  suddenly.  "What  was  there  on  the  afternoon  of  Tues- 
day last  to  forebode  this  ill  that  was  just  at  hand  ?  The  population  of  this  busy  city 
were  all  at  work.  The  wheels  of  these  immense  manufactories  were  all  in  motion — 
the  air  was  filled  with  the  whirl  of  machinery  and  the  hum  of  voices,  yonder  si  pul- 
chre  was  the  theatre  of  industry,  of  gayety,  of  profanity,  of  projects  for  the  increase 
of  gain,  of  high  hopes.  Those  nine  hundred  operatives  saw  no  handwriting  on  the 
wall — they  felt  no  trembling  beneath.  In  the  hundreds  of  dwellings  from  which  those 
men  and  women  went  forth  at  noon,  with  no  farewells  of  unusual  tenderness,  all  was 
peace.  The  children  had  begun  to  prepare  for  their  fathers'  return — the  ovens  were 
filled  with  bread  for  the  weary  laborers.  Many  a  mother  and  wife  was  hailing  the  de- 
cline of  the  sun,  that  brought  nearer  the  return  of  the  absent  ones,  when  suddenly, 
as  if  an  earthquake  had  shaken  us,  a  crash  is  heard — those  high  walls  creak  and  tum- 
ble and  are  laid  low!  It  was  the  work  of  an  instant.  Who  that  gazed  on  that  t  :enc 
of  horror — who  that  heard  those  agonizing  shrieks  for  help — who  that  pressed  on  with 
those  gathering  thousands,  can  ever  cease  to  shudder  at  the  recollection  of  that  day  ? 

Those  mangled  forms — those  bleeding  faces — those  glazed  eyes — that  eager  clutch 
of  the  half-stiffened  hand  as  it  seized  on  yours,  still  haunt  your  dreams,  and  make  you 
stop  and  hold  your  breath  in  the  midst  of  your  waking  cares :  those  crackling  flames 
that  mingled  with  the  cries  of  despair — that  we  all  felt,  as  we  were  driven  back  from 
the  work  of  resue — that  strange  song  of  Christian  triumpE,  that  some  of  us  heard,  which 
the  huge  pile  of  ruins  could  not  smother,  "  I'm  going  home,  I'm  going  home" — that 
kneeling  form,  which  some  of  us  saw,  with  clasped  hands,  which  death  had  .    1,  in 

the  posture  of  prayer — all — all  of  those  mysterious  scenes  stiil  burn  on  the  leaves  of 
memory,  and  it  will  take  many  a  day  and  many  a  year  to  extinguish  them. 

REV.  C.  E.  FISHER,  AT  THE  LAWRENCE    STREET    CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH. 

Mr.  Fisher  postponed  this  discourse  on  the  Sabbath  till  the  following  Tuesday,  ap- 
pointed by  the  mayor  as  a  fast,_at  which  time  it  was  delivered. 

Text:  —  "For  when  thy  judgments  are  in  the  earth,  the  inhabitants  of  the  world 
will  learn  righteousness."  —  Isaiah  26  :  9. 

He  alluded  to  the  recent  event  as  a  judgment  of  God.  In  view  of  it,  we  should  strive 
to  learn  what  tribute  we  can  render  unto  him,  and  what  lessons  he  teaches  us,  and  how 
we  may  best  improve  them  in  our  future  lives.  He  then  gave  a  graphic  description  of 
the  accident,  the  burning  ruins,  the  sufferings,  the  exciting  scenes,  the  joyful  meetings, 
the  search  for  the  lost,  the  dreadful  suspense,  the  wailing  of  the  wounded,  and  the  uni- 
versal sorrow  which  it  had  caused.  He  also  gave  some  statistics  of  the  number  of  dead, 
wounded,  and  missing,  showing  the  gratifying  fact  that  of  the  whole  number  in  the  mill, 
over  one-half  escaped  uninjured.  By  what  means  were  they  so  wonderfully  preserved  ? 
By  the  protecting  and  delivering  hand  of  God,  -without  whose  notice  not  a  sparrow  falls 
to  the  ground.  Most  men  believe  that  this  answer  is  true,  while  other  men  deny  that 
the  calamity  comes  within  the  range  of  God's  providential  government  of  the  world. 
But  if  God  providentially  succored  those  who  were  saved,  how  does  it  appear  that  this 
destructive  calamity  overtook  others  without  his  consent  or  permission  ?  This  leads  to 
the  inquiry,  does  God's  providential  government  extend  to  the  calamities  of  the  world, 
and  does  it  extend  to  this  calamity  ?     The  speaker  maintained  that  it  did,  most  assur- 


TH1-:    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  41 

cdly.  It  would  be  useless  and  even  impossible  to  separate  God  and  his  providential 
government  from  tbc  occurrences  of  life.  He  then  proceeded  to  prove  the  truth  of  the 
last  proposition,  and  narrated  several  facts  as  illustrations.  One  was  substantially  as 
follows:  In  1844,  on  the  18th  of  October,  he  was  travelling  near  Lake  Erie,  when  a 
storm  arose,  which  in  severity  and  fury  was  almost  unprecedented.  The  water  was 
raised  to  a  flood  at  Buffalo.  Two  hours  before  he  arrived,  thirty-two  steamers  bad  left 
to  cross  the  lake.  On  one  of  them,  among  the  passengers,  was  a  sceptic,  who,  a  few- 
hours  before,  had  boasted  that  there  was  no  God,  no  Providential  government,  and  thru 
all  the  ideas  of  the  Christian  religion  were  false.  The  boat  had  not  proceeded  twenty 
miles,  when  the  terrible  storm  overtook  it,  and  threatened  all  on  board  with  its  fur  v. 
Among  the  first  to  fall  on  his  knees  and  implore  protection  and  mercy  from  that  God 
whose  very  existence  he  had  denied,  was  this  sceptic.  Even  the  heathen  would  believe 
in  the  providence  of  God,  and  manifest  it  by  the  wearing  of  charms,  in  which  they  trust 
and  rely  as  a  means  of  procuring  divine  favor  and  preserving  them  from  harm.  The 
Jews,  brought  up  under  God's  special  guidance,  believed  in  his  providence,  as  is  proved 
by  the  inquiries  of  those  who  stood  by  the  tomb  of  Lazarus,  and  asked,  "  Could  not 
this  man,  who  opened  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  have  caused  that  even  this  man  should  not 
have  died  ?  "  God's  providential  government  extends  to  every  person  and  event,  and 
if  men  take  their  place  in  the  divine  plan,  all  will  work  for  their  good.  A  great  ca- 
lamity is  no  exception ;  it  is  a  part  of  God's  plan,  which  involves  alike  great  events  and 
those  of  less  importance.  He  then  proceeded  to  consider  the  lessons  we  are  to  learn 
from  calamities,  and  especially  from  this  calamity.  The  following  were  spoken  of  as  the 
most  important :  1.  That  God  carries  out  his  providential  plan  according  to  his  own 
good  jneasure.  2.  Men  are  dependent,  and,  if  they  would  be  blessed  of  God,  they' 
must  conform  to  his  divine  plan,  as  set  forth  by  his  laws  and  in  the  conditions  of  the  Gos- 
pel. 3.  The  uncertainty  of  life.  4.  The  value  of  the  soul.  5.  The  guilt  of  impeni- 
tence. 6.  The  gratitude  we  owe  to  God  for  his  delivering  mercy.  7.  The  duty  we 
owe  to  the  suffering  and  afflicted.  He  closed  by  showing  that  God  designs  to  teach  us 
the  importance  of  living,  not  for  this  world,  but  for  the  future,  and  of  the  importance 
of  living  in  conformity  to  his  commandments,  so  as  to  be  prepared  for  whatever  his  prov- 
idence may  develop. 

REV.    E.    M.    TAPPAN,    AT    THE   FREEWILL    BAPTIST    CHUKCH. 

Text :  —  "Those  eighteen,  upon  whom  the  tower  in  Siloam  fell,  and  slew  them,  think 
ye.  that  they  were  sinners  above  all  men  that  dwelt  in  Jerusalem  ?  I  tell  you,  Nay  ;  but 
except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish."  —  Luke  13  :  4,  5. 

After  describing  the  accident  in  a  thrilling  manner,  he  proceeded  to  speak  of  the 
lessons  to  be  drawn  from  the  event.  1.  The  first  lesson  to  be  learned  was,  To  beware 
of  the  inordinate  love  of  money,  for  it  will  result,  sooner  or  later,  in  our  injury.  From 
the  testimony  before  the  coroner,  now  holding  an  inquest,  it  appears  that  the  Pember- 
ton  Mill  was  not  substantially  built ;  the  walls  were  too  thin  —  much  thinner  and  weaker 
than  those  of  other  mills;  the  pillars  were  not  strong  enough.  From  these  causes,  un- 
doubtedly, it  fell.  It  could  not  have  been  from  settling  previously,  for  the  doors  and 
machinery  would  have  given  immediate  notice  of  that.  True,  some  testify  that  it  was 
well  constructed  ;  but  are  they  practical  men  ?  They  state  just  as  they  believe.  But 
men  who  have  been  engaged  in  erecting  buildings  for  more  than  twenty  years,  who 
worked  on  this,  declare  to  us  most  solemnly  that  they  did  not  consider  it  safe  ;  and  we 
must  believe  them.  A  civil  engineer,  or  an  architect,  to  be  reliable,  should  be  one 
whose  own  hands  have  handled  brick  and  mortar.  A  plan  may  look  well  on  paper, 
which  is  entirely  impracticable.  But  we  blame  no  one,  for  we  know  not  whom  to 
6 


42  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

blame.  The  falling  of  the  mill  is  all  the  evidence  we  want  that  it  was  not  substan- 
tially built.  That  cannot  be  gainsaid  by  theories  or  opinions  of  men.  Why  did  it  fall  ? 
We  are  told  by  some  that  this  disaster  is  a  judgment  of  God  upon  this  city  for  its  wick- 
edness. Well,  if  I  should  leap  from  the  bridge  into  the  river,  and  lose  my  life,  that  might 
just  as  well  be  called  a  judgment  of  God,  because  he  did  not  suspend  the  law  of  grav- 
itation in  my  behalf.  This  mill  was  built  in  violation  of  physical  laws,  and  it  fell  just 
as  such  buildings  always  must  fall.  But  why  was  it  thus  built?  Because  it  would  cost 
more  to  build  it  substantially.  The  inordinate  love  of  money  is  the  cause  of  this  sad  dis- 
aster. Those  persons  did  not  lose  their  lives  because  they  were  worse  than  others ; 
that  mill  did  not  fall  because  its  owners  were  worse  men  than  the  owners  of  the  other 
mills  in  our  city ;  our  city  does  not  suffer  this  calamity  because  it  is  worse  than  all  other 
cities;  but  because,  to  save  expense,  the  mill  was  not  properly  built.  And  if  there  is 
not  a  change,  other  and  similar  accidents  will  still  occur.  There  is  too  much  haste  to 
be  rich  ;  hardly  any  one  can  be  trusted.  Almost  every  paper  brings  intelligence  of 
defaulting  clerks  and  officials,  and  men  absconding  with  the  property  of  others.  An 
honest  man  can  hardly  accumulate  now  a  fortune  in  a  fair  manner.  He  must  overreach, 
or  discover  some  way  whereby  he  can  get  the  advantage  of  others.  Now,  unless  there 
is  a  change  in  this  respect,  we  may  expect  scenes  like  those  just  witnessed.  If  a  mill 
is  to  be  built,  it  must  be  done  a  little  cheaper  than  others,  so  as  to  have  the  advantage. 
Our  State  should  appoint  Building  Commissioners  to  look  to  these  public  buildings.  I 
would  not  add  to  the  feeling;  it  is  deep  enough.  I  hear  that  some  are  leaving  other 
mills  in  our  city,  through  fear  of  their  falling.  The  other  mills  are  no  more  likely  to 
fall  because  this  one  has  fallen.  2.  The  second  lesson  I  would  suggest  we  should  learn 
.is,  To  set  the  affections  supremely  on  things  spiritual,  that  we  may  be  prepared  to  meet 
our  God  whenever  he  may  call  for  us  to  leave  this  present  state  of  existence.  I  do  not 
mean  that  we  are  not  to  love  our  friends,  that  we  are  not  to  love  this  beautiful  world, 
that  we  are  not  to  love  this  present  life  and  enjoy  its  good  things,  or  that  we  are  not  to 
engage  in  business  here  with  earnestness  and  zeal ;  but  that  while  we  love  these,  there 
should  be  affection  in  the  heart  above  them  all  for  God,  for  L"s  law,  for  purity  of  heart, 
for  heaven.  These  temporal  things  pass  away.  Last  Tuesday  morning  the  owners  of 
the  Pemberton  Mill  thought  they  had  property  there  worth  more  than  half  a  million  of 
dollars.  When  the  sun  went  down  on  that  day,  where  was  it  ?  If  they  had  loved  this 
supremely,  how  wretched  they  must  be  to-day.  So  we  see,  however  successful  we  may 
be  in  accumulating,  in  a  single  hour  may  be  lost  the  reward  of  years  of  anxiety  and 
toil,  and  perhaps  the  price  of  purity,  of  honesty,  of  health,  of  the  soul.  Why,  then, 
love  these  things  supremely  ?  They  will  leave  us,  or  we  shall  them.  I  cannot  say 
one  word  against  the  tender  relation  of  husband  and  wife,  of  parents  and  children, 
of  brother  and  sister.  We  should  love  these  fervently,  but  love  God  supremely, 
for  from  him  there  will  then  be  no  separation.  3.  Another  lesson  we  should  learn 
from  this  appalling  calamity  is,  Trust  in  God.  I  would  not  have  man  lose  sight  of 
his  own  responsibility,  or  have  him  forget  that  God  works  by  means  in  accordance 
with  laws,  or  that  he  must  do  his  duty,  and  not  rely  presumptuously  on  God.  But 
recognizing  this,  and  conscious  that  he  is  doing  his  part  faithfully,  I  would  have  him 
then  trust  confidingly  in  his  Father  above,  and  feel  sure  that  all  things  shall  work  to- 
gether for  his  best  good,  whether  we  live  or  die.  We  need  such  a  trust  as  this.  Those 
who  were  at  work  in  the  Pemberton,  did  all  they  could  to  extricate  themselves  from 
the  ruins,  and  I  believe  God  helped  them.  I  do  not  see  how  otherwise  it  could  be  pos- 
sible for  so  many  to  escape.  4.  Once  more  :  By  this  sad  calamity  we  should  be  taught 
the  importance  of  being  diligent  in  our  labors  as  Christians.  Prepared  or  unprepared, 
those  killed  in  the  Pemberton  Mill  are  now  in  the  spirit  world,  where  they  are  beyond 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  43 

our  efforts  to  benefit  them.  Perhaps  some  of  us  know  of  some  of  them  over  whom  we 
might  have  exerted  an  influence  for  good  which  we  did  not.  It  is  now  too  late.  Per- 
haps, too,  there  were  among  them  some  who  neglected  their  Christian  duties,  saying,  to- 
morrow shall  be  as  this  day  and  more  abundant.  But  to  them  to-morrow  did  not  bring 
the  privileges  of  that  day ;  they  were  ushered  into  eternity.  Now  they  did  not  sin 
above  all  others  in  this  respect  —  perhaps  not  above  us;  and  if  we  are  not  more  faith- 
ful laborers  in  our  Father's  vineyard,  our  day,  too,  will  soon  be  over,  and  life's  work 
here  all  unperformed.  He  closed  by  urging  reliance  upon  God,  and  a  spirit  of  thank- 
fulness rather  than  repining. 

REV.    GEORGE    PACKARD,    D.D.,    AT   GRACE    (EPISCOPAL)    CHURCH. 

Text:  —  "  Or  those  eighteen  upon  whom  the  tower  in  Siloam  fell,  think  ye  that  they 
were  sinners  above  all  men  that  dwelt  in  Jerusalem  V     I  tell  you  Nay." —  Luke  13  :  4,  5. 

The  preacher  first  remarked  upon  the  appalling  event  which  had  caused  so  great 
sadness  and  sorrow  in  the  community,  and  had  awakened  the  deepest  commiseration 
and  sympathy  in  Christian  hearts  all  over  our  land.  What  a  special  meaning  had  been 
given  to  that  sentence  in  the  Burial  Service  —  "In  the  midst  of  life  we  are  in  death." 
What  emphasis  of  meaning  to  such  passages  from  God's  word  as  "  Boast  not  thyself 
of  to-morrow,  for  thou  knowest  not  what  a  day  may  bring  forth  ; "  "  There  is  but  a  step 
between  me  and  death."  Always  true,  but  how  much  of  truth  they  are  now  seen  to 
contain.  In  the  recent  disaster,  which  has  filled  so  many  hearts  with  sorrow,  and  from 
which  so  many  escaped  as  by  a  miracle,  we  cannot  say  why  one  was  taken  and 
another  left,  why  this  family  are  mourning  in  bitterness  of  sorrow  on  account  of  the 
loss  of  one  or  more  of  their  number,  and  other  families  were  all  preserved,  and 
upon  that  memorable  evening  were  permitted  to  unite  their  voices  or  hearts  in 
thanksgiving  to  God  for  his  gracious  interposition  for  their  rescue.  Our  duty  is  to 
note,  not  to  explain,  the  events  which  are  occurring  on  the  earth ;  not  to  assign 
the  reasons  which  actuated  the  Divine  Mind  in  their  accomplishment.  The  wisest 
and  the  best  of  men  have  been  confounded  by  the  providence  of  God.  The  proph- 
ets acknowledged  that  the  most  signal  dealings  of  Providence  were  involved  in  in- 
scrutable mystery.  The  prophet  Jeremiah  says,  "  Righteous  art  thou,  O  Lord,  yet 
fct  me  talk  with  thee  of  thy  judgments  ;  wherefore  do  the  wicked  prosper  V  "  The 
wherefores  have  perplexed  the  closest  students  of  the  operations  of  the  divine 
government ;  and  yet  the  wherefores  men  rashly,  presumptuously  assign,  interpreting 
God's  dealings  as  if  they  were  as  easily  comprehended  as  the  commonest  transactions 
among  men.  The  preacher  specially  remarked  upon  that  pronencss  in  the  human 
heart,  to  make  providential  events  determine  the  character  of  men.  Job's  friends 
acting  upon  the  false  principle,  that  this  life  is  one  of  retribution,  charged  inquiry  upon 
him,  because  of  the  calamities  that  overwhelmed  him.  The  Saviour  condemned  this 
same  erroneous  judgment  among  his  contemporaries.  There  is  a  vast  difference,  said 
the  preacher,  between  holding  the  doctrine  of  a  Providence  that  is  equally  involved  in 
the  fall  of  a  sparrow  and  a  nation,  and  presumptuously  daring  to  assign  the  special 
reasons  which  influenced  the  actings  of  God  in  the  particular  events  of  his  providence. 
It  is  one  thing  to  acknowledge  the  hand  of  God  in  such  events  as  clearly  manifest  his 
special  agency,  and  quite  another  to  pronounce  upon  the  character  and  purposes  of 
such  events.  Well  is  it  for  us,  said  he,  that  this  is  not  a  world  of  retribution.  Should 
God  be  strict  to  mark  our  iniquities  as  a  community  or  as  individuals,  and  should  mer- 
cies be  withheld  or  judgments  be  inflicted  according  to  our  true  deservings,  we  might 
well  tremble  at  the  changed  condition  which  a  righteous  retribution  would  award.  Our 
prayer  is,  and  should  be,  "  O  Father,  for  the  glory  of  thy  name,  turn  from  us  all  those 


44  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

evils  we  most  justly  deserve."  The  appalling  catastrophe  of  the  past  week  has  moved 
the  sympathies  and  called  forth  the  earnest  prayers  of  many  Christian  hearts  all  over 
our  land.  The  prayer  has  been  offered  in  many  assemblies  of  God's  people,  which 
have  been  convened  in  our  larger  cities  and  towns  during  the  past  week  of  special 
prayer,  that  God  would  make  this  awful  event  the  means  of  blessing  to  very  many  in 
this  community.  In  this  prayer,  surely,  we  should  unite,  not  with  our  lips  merely,  but 
with  our  hearts.  In  our  united  service,  and  as  we  bow  before  the  God  of  all  grace  and 
consolation,  we  can,  we  should  pray  for  the  many  almost  miraculously  preserved,  that 
their  hearts  may  be  duly  impressed  with  God's  merciful  goodness,  and  that  they  may 
devote  the  residue  of  their  days  to  an  humble,  holy,  and  obedient  walking  before  him ; 
we  can,  we  should  pray  for  the  many  who  are  passing  days  of  distress  and  nights  of 
anguish,  that  they  may  be  prepared  for  God's  will,  whether  it  be  life  or  death ;  we  can, 
we  should  pray  for  the  many  who  mourn  the  less  of  some  one  or  more  dear  to  them, 
that,  deprived  of  earthly  friends  and  supports,  they  may  go  to  Him,  who,  when  truly 
sought,  is  found,  and  will  prove  an  unfailing  friend,  an  unyielding  support ;  we  can, 
we  should  pray  for  the  many  among  us  who  need  to  be  aroused  from  their  moral  stu- 
pidity and  indifference,  that  God  would  so  bless  to  them  this  startling  event,  that  they 
may  be  awakened  to  a  sense  of  their  danger  and  their  duty,  and  be  led  to  give  their 
attention  to  those  things  which  belong  to  their  everlasting  peace.  He  closed  by  urging 
benevolence  as  an  accompaniment  to  prayers,  and  a  preparation  for  death. 

REV.  II.  II.  HARTWELL,  AT  THE  GARDEN'  STREET  METHODIST  CHURCH. 

Text : — -"  Who  among  you  will  give  ear  to  this  ?  who  will  hearken,  and  hear  for  the  time 
to  come  ?  Who  gave  Jacob  for  a  spoil,  and  Israel  to  the  robbers  ?  did  not  the  Lord,  he 
against  whom  we  have  sinned  ?  for  they  would  not  walk  in  his  wars,  neither  were  they 
obedient  unto  his  law.  Therefore  he  hath  poured  upon  him  the  fury  of  his  anger,  and 
the  strength  of  battle :  and  it  hath  set  him  on  fire  round  about,  yet  he  knew  not ;  and 
it  burned  him,  yet  he  laid  it  not  to  heart. — Isaiah  42  :  23,  25. 

In  his  exordium,  Mr.  Hartwell  explained  the  connection  of  his  text  with  a  history  of 
God's  ancient  people  Israel,  their  transgression  and  consequent  misery.  They  gave 
themselves  up  to  the  destructive  vices  of  a  false  religion,  and  refused  obedience  to  the 
commands  of  the  living  God.  God  called,  entreated,  and  wept  over  them  by  his  ser- 
vants, but  they  would  not  hear.  He  then  resorted  to  more  severe  means  and  visited 
them  with  awful  judgments.  But  in  all  his  judgments  God  is  not  vindictive  or  re- 
vengeful, but  only  sympathetic.  He  pities,  while  he  strikes,  but  he  must  be  obeyed. 
But  the  afflictive  developments  of  Divine  Providence  are  designed  for  our  good.  They 
show  us  our  dependence  on  God;  they  warn  us  against  sin  ;  they  lead  us  to  repentance, 
and  to  the  love  and  worship  of  the  true  God. 

But  the  text  is  not  only  historically  descriptive  of  the  ancient  Israelites,  but  is  a 
prophetic  declaration  of  the  state  of  the  people  under  the  Gospel  dispensation,  referring 
to  Israel  as  an  example.  In  the  application  of  this  subject,  in  view  of  the  recent  ca- 
lamity, the  speaker  made  some  fitting  remarks  on  each  of  the  following  points :  \ .  We 
are  a  people  highly  favored  of  heaven.  2.  We  are  a  people  deeply  guilty.  3.  God  has 
borne  long  with  us.  4.  He  has  warned  us  often  of  our  sinfulness.  5.  The  awful  stroke 
has  come.  In  his  remarks  on  the  fourth  proposition,  he  alluded  to  the  great  fire  of  last 
August,  which  resulted  in  the  death  of  three  men  ;  to  the  sudden  death  of  several  young 
men  recently ;  and  last  of  all  to  the  event  of  the  past  week.  This  catastrophe  was 
no  surprise  to  him  ;  and  in  this  connection  he  referred  to  a  sermon  preached  by  him  on 
the  first  Sabbath  of  the  year,  in  which  he  expressed  an  impression  that  the  present  was 
to  be  an  eventful  year,  and  one  fraught  with  great  and  unforeseen  occurrences  to  the 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITT.  45 

people  here ;  and  also  to  some  remarks  made  by  Mr.  Seaver,  a  young  man  who  is  num- 
bered among  the  injured,  last  Sabbath,  in  which  he  referred  to  the  great  fire,  and  said 
he  believed  it  was  to  be  followed  by  other  calamities.  In  speaking  on  the  last  point  he 
said  God  was  seen  in  this  event.  We  may  talk  about  natural  causes,  but  the  hand  of 
God  was  clearly  seen.  He,  however,  in  this  part  of  his  discourse,  as  previously,  dis- 
claimed any  belief  that  this  was  in  punishment  of  any  specific  wickedness. 

He  next  alluded  to  the  effect  which  this  would  produce  —  it  would  either  harden 
or  soften  us.  Who  will  give  ear  ?  Who  will  reform  ?  Who  will  lay  this  to  heart  ? 
Think  of  the  dead  and  wounded  !  Repent,  seek  God,  and  prepare  for  any  event.  >l  This 
year  shalt  thou  die." 

He  then  spoke  of  our  duty  and  of  the  gratitude  which  is  due  from  those  who  eseap  d, 
and  thankfulness  for  the  safety  of  friends.  And  our  sympathy  was  due  to  the  mourn- 
ers, the  wounded,  and  the  strangers  who  were  seeking  the  lost ;  and  our  praise  to 
those  who  had  tendered  generous  assistance.  He  here  spoke  in  complimentary  terms 
of  the  firemen,  of  those  in  Boston  and  elsewhere  who  had  furnished  kindly  aid,  of 
the  people  of  Lawrence  generally,  and  of  the  City  Government.  He  also  expressed  his 
abhorrence  of  the  actions  of  some,  instancing  the  selling  of  liquor,  profanity,  stealing,  etc, 
which  had  prevailed  to  some  extent.  He  narrated  some  interesting  but  mournful  facts 
in  regard  to  the  deaths  of  several  members  of  the  church  and  congregation.  Among  these 
were  William  Metcalf,  Augusta  A.  Ashworth,  and  John  C.  Dearborn.  After  alluding 
to  the  wounded  and  graphically  describing  some  of  the  scenes  of  the  catastrophe,  he  closed 
by  saying,  May  God  revive  the  work  of  religion  more  in  our  midst,  and  may  we  all 
finally  meet,  where  we  shall  be  safe  amid  the  crush  of  worlds  and  wreck  of  matter,  is  the 
honest  and  earnest  prayer  of  your  humble  servant  and  pastor. 

REV.   J.    H.   M'CARTY   AT    THE    FIRST   M.    E.    CHURCH. 

Text : — "  Of  those  eighteen  upon  whom  the  tower  in  Siloam  fell,  and  slew  them, 
think  ye  that  they  were  sinners  above  all  men,  that  dwelt  in  Jerusalem  ?  I  tell  you, 
Nay ;  but  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish. — Luke  13:4,  5." 

In  commencing,  the  speaker  said  that  the  recent  calamity,  with  the  arduous  labors 
and  loss  of  rest  which  it  had  occasioned,  had  wellnigh  disqualified  him  for  the  duties 
of  the  day.  He  would  gladly  lie  down  and  rest,  did  not  duty  call  him  to  his  post. 
For  my  part,  said  he,  when  God  was  sounding  a  trumpet  from  heaven,  to  awaken  into 
spiritual  life  the  thousands  around  us  who  are  at  ease  in  their  sins  —  sins  which  are  para- 
lyzing and  corroding  the  soul,  I  dare  not  think  of  being  silent,  for  if  ever  the  truth 
was  preached  from  the  desk,  or  in  the  pulpits  of  this  city,  certainly  it  ought  to  be  now. 

The  Saviour  does  not  discountenance  that  view  which  regards  many  calamities,  such 
as  is  referred  to  by  himself,  as  judicial  inflictions  of  Divine  Providence  for  flagrant  vio- 
lations of  God's  law.  The  Scriptures  in  many  places  endorse  such  a  sentiment — the 
reply  of  our  Lord  in  this  very  place  does,  as  is  seen  in  the  words,  "  Unless  ye  repent, 
ye  shall  all  likewise  perish."  He  aims  only  at  correcting  the  abuse  of  such  a  senti- 
ment, in  attributing  every  such  accident  to  a  special  and  direct  visitation  of  the  Al- 
mighty in  punishment  of  unparalleled  crime  —  an  opinion  exceedingly  uncharitable, 
which  was  prevalent  among  the  Jewish  people  respecting  such  calamities.  He  further- 
more endorses  the  idea  that  God  would  visit  sin  with  signal  punishment,  irrespective  of 
who  is  the  greatest  sinner.  But  how  loud  the  call  to  contrition  before  God,  by  all,  in 
view  of  the  fearful  providence  that  seems  to  hang  over  this  city.  What  a  fearful  dis- 
play of  the  omnipotence  of  Jehovah  !     How  all  human  skill  and  power  are,  set  aside  ! 

The  casualty  of  the  10th  inst.  is  without  a  parallel  in  the  annals  of  our  country.  It 
is  to  be  hoped  such  a  scene  may  never  be  witnessed  again   anywhere.     That  terrible 


46  TIIE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

cry,  rung  through  our  streets  bj-  a  thousand  voices,  "  The  Pemberton  Mills  have  fallen 
in,  and  seven  hundred  persons  are  killed  ! "  Then  the  universal  panic  that  seized  the 
whole  population  ;  the  wide-spread  consternation  that  paralyzed  many,  and  excited  to 
frenzy  others  ;  the  multitudes  that  rushed  with  bleeding  hearts,  mourning  and  sobbing 
aloud,  that  reminded  one  of  Egypt  when  her  first  born  were  slain,  rushing  to  the  scene 
of  ruin  only  to  be  tortured  with  the  shrieks  of  the  wounded  and  the  sight  of  the  dead. 
"  Rachels  weeping  for  their  children,  and  would  not  be  comforted  because  they  were 
not."  Children  calling  in  vain  for  parents  buried  in  worse  than  ocean  grave.  Sisters 
mourning  over  lost  brothers,  and  brothers  over  perished  sisters.  Those  curling  flames 
bursting  from  caverns  of  fire  within,  and  lighting  up  the  very  heavens,  while  scores  of 
dead  ones  were  doomed  to  feed  the  insatiable  element,  and  add  to  those  fires  that  sent 
a  thrill  of  unutterable  anguish  to  every  heart.  To  call  your  minds  back  to  such  scenes 
gives  your  spirits  pain,  but  the  recollection  is  vivid  though  painful.  Heaven  intends  we 
should  feel ;  we  forget  too  easy.  Mystery  hangs  over  this  affair.  We  call  it  an  in- 
scrutable Providence.  Such  I  will  at  least  call  it  until  we  have  the  verdict  of  the  jury, 
and  even  then  would  not  dare  to  call  it  by  any  other  name.  There  is  a  wide  difference, 
however,  between  human  carelessness  and  love  of  money,  and  Divine  Providence.  If 
a  man  hangs  himself,  or  drinks  himself  to  death,  it  ought  not  to  be  charged  upon  the 
Almighty.  Humanity  is  here  responsible,  though  God  may  overrule  for  good  the  er- 
rors of  man,  and  cause  his  wrath  to  praise  him.  Upon  this  phase  of  the  subject  it  be- 
comes us  not  now  to  speak  at  length.  Accidents  occur  that  no  human  sagacity  could 
foresee.  This  may  or  may  not  now  be  the  case.  We  shall  get  the  truth,  doubtless,  in 
reference  to  this  matter.  The  moral  of  the  question  is  uppermost  in  the  speaker's 
heart.  We  place  ourselves  in  danger  in  a  thousand  ways,  and  ever  and  anon  the  de- 
stroying angel  touches  the  elements  around  us,  and  under  the  withered  bough,  or  fall- 
ing building,  the  raging  flame,  or  walking  pestilence,  or  the  furious  thunderbolt,  men 
are  smitten  unto  death,  and  ushered,  prepared  or  unprepared,  into  an  eternity  that 
knows  no  end.  But  even  if  men  are  to  blame  for  owning  and  using  unsafe  property, 
thus  putting  in  jeopardy  hundreds  of  lives,  which  for  the  honor  of  the  race  I  hope  is  not 
the  case,  still  we  have  a  warning  in  the  event  which  a  wise  and  holy  God  permits — 
which  can  be,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  will  be,  blessed  to  the  good  of  the  whole  land.  The 
question  in  every  heart  should  be,  "  What  would  my  condition  now  be,  had  it  been  my 
lot  to  have  met  death  in  the  ruins  of  the  Pemberton  Mills?"  We  should  return  to  him 
our  grateful  acknowledgments  that  so  many  escaped,  bruised  and  mangled  though  they 
are.  We  should  gather  our  families — who  have  them — around  us,  and  offer  to  him 
the  homage  of  our  hearts  for  saving  them  from  such  a  terrible  doom.  We  should  im- 
plore him  with  deep  penitence  of  heart  to  visit  us  no  more  with  such  a  fearful  judg- 
ment. The  whole  city  should  mourn.  We  should  open  our  hands  and  freely  dispense 
whatever  we  have  to  relieve  the  sufferings  of  the  unfortunate ;  and  we  should  not  cease 
to  bear  them  in  our  prayers  to  a  throne  of  sovereign  mercy.  We  should  receive  this 
as  a  stroke  of  the  Almighty  to  make  us  feel  that  God  is  above  and  ruleth  in  the  heavens. 
As  Christians,  we  should  be  more  faithful,  and  as  sinners,  we  should  repent  of  our  sins. 
If  we  heed  not  such  a  dispensation,  then  what  shall  we  heed ?  If  these  judgments 
bring  us  not  to  our  thoughts  and  feelings,  God  will  either  send  others,  severer,  or  say  : 
"  Ephraim  is  joined  to  his  idols  ;  let  him  alone  !"  if  so,  fearful  must  be  our  doom. 

The  speaker  closed  with  a  direct  appeal  to  his  congregation  in  regard  to  their  relig- 
ious interests,  urging  repentance  and  faith ;  basing  his  plea  on  their  intelligence,  their 
consciousness  of  what  is  right  and  what  is  wrong,  what  they  ought  not  to  do  and  what 
they  ought  to  do  to  insure  their  own  salvation. 


THE   LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  47 

REV.    Y7SI.    L.   JENKINS,    AT    THE    UNITARIAN    CHURCH. 

Text:  —  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul:  and  all  that  is  within  me,  bless  his  holy  name. 
—  Psalms  103  :  1. 

In  commencing,  the  speaker  said  that  after  the  awful  crisis  just  passed  through,  he 
felt  at  a  loss  of  words,  and  needed  time  and  rest  to  collect  his  troubled  thoughts.  But 
he  would  speak  heart  to  heart  as  to  brothers,  and  turn  their  minds  from  the  dark 
veil  over  the  providence  of  God,  to  the  cause  for  thanksgiving  and  gratitude  —  the  sun 
above  the  cloud. 

God  lias  indeed  been  near  us,  said  he,  and  pressed  to  our  hearts  as  perhaps  never 
before,  disclosing  how  thin  is  the  veil  between  the  two  worlds.  Still  we  can  look  up 
more  than  ever  before  in  gratitude  and  praise.  The  imagination  hardly  conceives  of, 
and  history  hardly  records,  such  a  miraculous  preservation  of  life.  Who,  that  sees  that 
blackened  desolation  now,  could  think  one  had  escaped  ?  The  Pembcrton  Mills  fell 
through  wholly  natural  causes.  The  great  physical  laws  of  God  were  violated  in  the 
erection  of  that  building.  God  does  not  choose  now  to  work  miracles  or  suspend  the 
laws  of  gravitation,  to  save  us  from  our  weakness  or  ignorance.  'Tis  the  blackest  blas- 
phemy, and  argues  a  hard  theology,  that  dries  up  the  warm  juices  of  the  heart,  and  de- 
bases the  imperial  reason  to  drivelling  superstition,  to  say  that  this  calamity  is  God's 
visitation  upon  us,  or  his  judgment,  or  his  wrath  —  that  its  cause  was  not  physical  but 
moral  —  that  the  Irish  are  so  drunken  and  licentious  as  to  draw  down  God's  wrath  —  or 
that  the  Sabbath  was  so  violated  here,  or  the  community  so  wicked.  If  so,  God  would 
have  killed  a  higher  and  richer  class  than  those  poor,  ignorant  Irish.  The  building  fell 
from  some  error  in  construction,  and  the  whole  world  demands  that  the  cause  be  searched 
out,  that  every  mill  be  thoroughly  tested  from  foundation  to  cap-stone,  and  another  such 
catastrophe  made  impossible.  Better  sink  the  capital  of  the  whole  country  than  run 
the  risk  of  such  a  scene  1  I  blame  no  man,  nor  body  of  men,  but  the  laws  of  God  were 
broken  by  man.  The  salvation  of  so  many  hundreds  was  through  the  infinite  love  of 
God.  With  this  thought  we  have  come  here  for  thanksgiving.  When  we  felt  the  utter 
despair  that  made  the  warm  life  blood  die  away,  it  was  at  the  thought  that  all  those 
seven  hundred  or  eight  hundred  people  were  lost  in  the  ruins.  Now,  see  God's  mercy. 
As  we  go  over  the  list  of  those  of  this  society,  every  one  of  whom  we  supposed  buried 
up,  very  many,  but  not  all,  are  safe.  When  the  very  heavens  seemed  falling,  the  dead 
weight  of  despair  was  lifted.  Are  we  grateful  enough  ?  He  alluded  to  the  almost  mirac- 
ulous escape  of  the  agent  of  the  mills,  the  fervent  friend  of  the  society,  and  of  the  leader 
of  their  choir,  and  for  the  salvation  of  their  lives  he  thanked  the  goodness  of  God.  Then 
there  was  another  dear  friend,  beloved  and  respected  by  all,  saved  to  his  wife  and  child  ; 
then,  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  church,  father  and  son,  devoted  with  their  families  to  the 
interest  of  the  church  ;  then  five  others,  overseers,  recovered  from  most  perilous  positions. 
I  can  conceive,  said  he,  of  no  more  miraculous  escape ;  'tis  the  smile  of  God  on  those 
blackened  ruins.  Of  the  awful  experience  of  these  eleven,  —  the  first  sensation  when 
it  came  upon  them  like  a  tornado  or  earthquake,  or  the  sound  of  Heaven's  artillery,  as  if 
the  end  of  the  world  had  come,  moving  the  instinct  to  escape  by  whatever  way  possi- 
ble ;  the  mad  rush  from  the  impending  ruin ;  the  suspense  like  the  stillness  of  eternity, 
when  seconds  seemed  hours ;  the  strained  faculties,  by  a  reaction  stunned  and  paralyzed 
for  a  moment ;  the  awakening  to  consciousness,  and  the  awful  joy,  that  they  stood  on 
solid  ground  and  breathed  God's  free  air;  the  next  thought,  of  home  and  the  beloved, 
to  send  them  word  of  their  safety ;  the  involuntary,  perhaps  unconscious,  prayer  to  God  ; 
and  then,  mingled  with  the  ecstatic  joy,  the  up-look  to  the  crushing  building;  the  stifled 
wailings  within  and  without ;  the  thought  of  so  many  they  knew  buried  up  alive  ;  the 


48  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

wild  delirium,  so  much  misery  and  so  much  joy,  when  they  -were  brought  face  to  face 
with  God's  providence,  —  of  these  individual  experiences,  each  so  different  and  each 
so  solemn,  they  cannot  tell.  But  they  should  remember  that  God's  hand  has  consecrated 
them,  that  they  have  been  called  by  an  almost  superhuman  voice  to  bless  him  in  life  as 
well  as  in  words.  He  would  not  speak  of  the  multitude  of  the  dead,  or  the  fearful 
scenes  of  that  night.  The  reality  had  not  yet  but  must  gradually  break  upon  us.  lie 
saw  God's  mercy  in  the  strength  he  gave  to  the  unharmed  to  labor,  and  to  look  on 
scenes  no  words  can  describe.  After  speaking  of  the  great  love  of  God  manifested  tow- 
ards the  living,  the  preacher  alluded  to  two  persons  who  had  been  taken  from  this 
church  by  the  calamity.  But  it  was  not  for  us  to  sit  down  in  sackcloth  and  ashes,  make 
long  prayers,  and  keep  severe  fasts  to  deprecate  God's  wrath;  continued  disasters 
should  enforce  the  command  to  "love  one  another."  We  should  be  more  united,  more 
loving,  more  helping,  more  assiduous  to  do  good,  more  devoted  to  the  living,  more  like 
the  good  Samaritan.  To  that  higher  mansion,  said  he,  in  concluding,  we  trust  these 
souls,  and  lookup  from  the  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  to  that  building  of  God,  "  a 
house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens." 

REV.    M.    J.    STEEKE,    AT     TIIE   UNIVERSALIST   CHURCH. 

Text:  —  "  In  the  day  of  adversity  consider."  —  Eccl.  7  :  1-1. 

Lawrence,  said  he,  was  now  in  a  way  to  be  known  through  the  wide  world.  She  had, 
during  the  past  week,  experienced  such  a  day  of  tribulation  as  never  of  the  kind  had 
been,  and  perhaps  never  would  be.  "We  were  apt  to  think  present  extremes  greatest, 
bat  sure  he  was  that,  in  all  his  reading,  lie  had  never  fallen  upon  anything  taking  place 
during  the  regular  routine  of  peaceful,  industrious  life,  —  so  fearful,  appalling,  as  that 
which  now  hung  the  city  in  mourning.  Indeed,  said  he,  so  far  from  being  liable  to 
extravagance  in  our  estimate  of  our  city's  sorrow,  we  believe  that  none  of  us  have  really 
awakened  to  a  full  apprehension  of  it.  And  it  is  well  that  our  sensibilities  should  be 
partially  stunned  by  a  blow  so  terrible,  lest  we  be  unnerved  for  the  high  and  laborious 
duties  which  it  devolves  upon  us.  The  speaker  would  not  harrow  the  feelings  of  his 
audience.  They  needed  anodynes  rather  than  stimulants.  Many  of  them  hid  been 
laboriously  active  by  day,  wakefully  nertous  by  night.  Sleep  .had  fled  their  pillows. 
Some  of  them  had  hovered  over  the  wounded  and  the  dying,  like  ministering  angels, 
others  would  have  gladly  done  so  had  God  given  them  the  nerve.  Their  duties  were  not 
yet  all  done.  But  they  were  needing  rest  —  rest  in  God.  He  hoped  they  would  find 
it  to-day,  for  lo  !  "  He  giveth  his  beloved  sleep."  Days  of  adversity  were  referred  to,  and 
prominently  that  of  the  previous  autumn,  when  Lawrence  was  enveloped  in  a  cloud  of 
eindery  smoke,  and  threatened  with  being  made  a  mass  of  devouring  flames.  That  was 
a  day  of  adversity,  when  her  citizens  were  running  to  and  fro  distracted,  firemen  were 
fainting  with  over-exertion,  and  several  persons  were  killed  by  the  falling  of  ruins, 
and  when  fire  was,  by  the  ministering  wind,  east  into  God's  goodly  sanctuary.  Dark, 
indeed,  was  that  day  of  adversity :  but  it  was  bright  as  the  light,  compared  with  the 
darkness  that  then  overspread  the  city.  What  though  the  sufferers  were  generally 
foreigners  ?  What  though  they  were  not  highly  connected '?  What  though,  in  this  re- 
spect, with  a  few  exceptions,  this  disaster  differed,  tolo  ccclo,  from  the  ISTorwalk  tragedy, 
or  the  burning  of  the  Lexington  ?  Should  we  therefore  be  the  less  moved  ?  Nay,  but 
the  more.  Therefore  were  the  claims  upon  sympathy  stronger.  So  the  speaker  felt  as 
he  saw  two  ladies  bending  over  a  poor  German  in  the  hall,  who  eould  not  speak  our 
language,  like  the  twain  cherubim  over  the  mercy  seat.  We  cannot  feel,  said  he,  as  do 
they  whose,  dear  ones  have  been  borne  away  from  them,  and,  perhaps  buried,  unidenti- 
fied as  yet,  —  now,  perhaps,  still  lying  deep  in  the   chaotic  grave  in  which  they  were 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  49 

buried  alive.  Nor  can  we  feel  as  do  they  who  lie  with  broken  limbs  and  rent  mus- 
cles, waiting,  perhaps,  to  die  ;  or  as  they  who  watch  over  them  with  a  hope  that  will  not 
yield.  But  we  can  feci  sufficiently  to  move  us  to  do  for  the  suffering  all  that  is  de- 
manded by  our  holy  religion.  Another  visit  of  the  speaker  to  the  ruins  entombing 
the  charred  bodies  of  some  of  the  brethren,  and  over  which  the  storm  was  weav- 
ing a  winding-sheet  of  snow,  had  doubly  convinced  him  that  our  sensibilities  were 
for  the  time  mercifully  stunned,  lest  we  be  crushed  beneath  our  sorrow ;  but  still 
indifference  were  as  criminal  as  it  were  impossible ;  Judas'  hanging  himself  was 
scarcely  more  criminal  than  Peter's  indifferently  warming  himself,  while  his  Lord  was 
being  abused  in  Pilate's  hall. 

In  this  day  of  adversity,  said  the  speaker,  we  might  consider  the  marvel  that  so  many 
should  have  been  saved.  Did  an  angel  lead  them  out  ?  We  might  also  consider  the 
glory  of  Christianity,  as  we  understand  it,  as  affording  abundant  ground  for  cheerful  sub- 
mission to  even  such  a  day  of  darkness.  He  would  say  nothing  of  other  theologies.  Let 
them  get  comfort  from  them  who  can.  He  would  cling  to  the  universal  fatherhood.  It 
was  not  for  us  to  see  the  victims  of  fall  and  fire  and  suffocation  dropping  from  the 
misery  of  that  awful  scene  into  misery  endless.  He  did  not  see  in  the  death  of  those 
who  perished  in  the  sight  of  their  friends, —  who  went  to  eternity  as  in  a  fiery  furnace,  a 
consignment  of  their  souls  to  endless  pain.  Oh,  no  ;  he  saw  their  sufferings  ended  with 
their  dying,  as  that  they  could  suffer  in  the  future  only  whatever  would  be  needful  to 
discipline  them  to  holiness ;  as  he  saw  the  poor  souls  crying  and  burning  and  dying,  he 
felt  that  dying  was  to  them  relief.  We  should  consider  a  duty  growing  out  of  such  ad- 
versity. For  our  benevolent  activity  it  had  opened  a  wide  door.  Here  the  speaker 
appealed  to  the  charity  of  his  audience.  "  O  brethren  !"  said  he,  "  if  we  have  escaped 
the  terrible  scene  —  if  our  immediate  friends  are  not  involved  in  it  —  if  our  family  circle 
is  still  complete,  how,  I  pray  you,  can  we  better  express  our  gratitude  to  God  than  by 
ministering  to  the  wants  of  the  poor  sufferers.  Oh,  what  is  money,  counted  by  the  lurid 
light  of  flames  burning  up  our  shrieking  brethren  !  "  In  closing,  he  said,  "If  I  address  any 
who  are  hoarding,  and  are  becoming  callous  as  the  pile  increases,  let  them  look  at  the 
scene  of  suffering  to-day,  till  the  admonition  of  the  mangled  and  charred  dead,  and  the 
sorrowful  living,  pierces  to  the  centre  of  their  hearts,  and  gives  vent  to  the  pent-up  milk 
of  their  kindness.  And  let  us  all  be  willing  to  divide  our  pittance  with  the  victims  of 
destitution  carved  out  by  the  hand  of  terror.  But  enough  !  In  this  day  of  adversity 
consider.     So  much  impromptu.     No  more." 

In  the  afternoon  he  spoke  on  the  same  subject  from  the  text  "  And  Aaron  held  his 
peace." 

REV.  MR.  DINSMOOR,   AT    THE   REFORMED   PRESBYTERIAN   CIIURCH. 

At  this  church,  Rev.  Mr.  Dinsmoor,  the  pastor,  preached  a  discourse,  intended  prin- 
cipally to  commemorate  the  recent  event.  He  selected  for  his  text  a  portion  of  the 
passage  of  Scrijiture  adopted  by  several  other  clergymen  as  the  foundation  of  their 
discourses.     "  And  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish."  —  Luke  13  :  5. 

He  described  the  fallen  condition  of  man,  and  spoke  of  the  recent  event  as  a  judg- 
ment of  God,  being  brought  upon  the  world  in  consequence  of  the  sin  which  character- 
ized it.  He  maintained  the  necessity  of  falling  upon  Christ  for  salvation.  We  are  all. 
he  said,  deserving  of  death,  and,  but  for  God's  mercy,  we  should  receive  it.  Our  only 
way  of  safety  was  by  fleeing  to  God  and  repenting,  and,  unless  we  do  that,  we  "  shall 
all  likewise  perish." 

7 


50  TIIE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

REV.  JAMES    O'DONNELL   AT   THE   CHURCH   OF    ST.    MARY  (CATHOLIC). 

This  church  was  dressed  in  mourning,  and  was  filled  to  overflowing.  After  announc- 
ing the  number  of  the  killed,  and  drawing  consolation  from  the  fact  that  nearly  all  had 
received  the  last  rites  of  the  church,  Father  O'Donnell  said, — 

"  It  is  remarkable,  that  of  the  nine  hundred  persons  at  work  in  that  mill,  where  not 
one  could  hope  to  escape,  so  small  a  proportion  were  killed  or  injured.  Oh,  how  I 
should  wish  at  this  time  to  remind  those  who  escaped  of  the  vows  and  promises  they 
made  under  those  burning  ruins !  But  it  is  of  little  consequence  when  we  are  called 
upon  to  die,  or  where,  if  we  are  prepared ;  but  it  is  of  great  importance  to  be  fit  to  die 
at  any  time  ;  and  I  cannot  give  you  better  advice,  than  to  be  always  ready.  We  can- 
not know  the  hour  when  God  will  summon  us.  He  says  to  all,  Watch  and  pray,  for 
ye  know  not  the  hour  when  ye  are  to  be  summoned.  To  the  man  who  kneels  down 
every  morning  and  implores  the  protection  of  God,  death  is  always  welcome,  because 
God  calls  him,  and  it  will  be  impossible  to  find  him  unprepared.  Oh,  I  wish  those  per- 
sons who  never  go  to  church  on  Sundays  would  take  warning  from  this,  and  improve 
in  the  future.  In  proportion  to  the  weight  of  this  sorrow,  God  Almighty  has  poured 
consolation  into  the  hearts  of  the  bereaved,  to  make  them  surrender  their  friends  with 
more  resignation.  Four  thousand  persons  die  every  hour  of  the  day  and  night  from  one 
end  of  the  year  to  the  other.  We  should  always  implore  the  mercy  of  God,  for  many 
a  man  who  goes  out  in  the  enjoyment  of  life  and  health  in  the  morning,  at  night  is 
dead.  I  need  not  remind  you  of  the  many  instances  in  your  own  lives  where  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Holy  Virgin  has  been  manifest.  See  how  a  little  intimation  from  her 
induces  her  Son  to  change  water  into  wine.  If  you  wish  for  the  intercession  of  the 
saints  —  if  you  desire  the  protection  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  you  must  try  and  obtain 
the  friendship  of  her  Son  by  obeying  all  his  commands.  I  will  recommend  to  all  per- 
sons to  return  to  their  work,  and  not  allow  the  recent  event  to  prey  on  their  minds. 
You  are  all  under  the  protection  of  God.  No  matter  where  you  are,  you  cannot  die 
before  the  time  appointed,  unless  you  are  so  depraved  as  to  put  an  end  to  your  own 
lives.  And,  as  you  are  under  the  protection  of  God,  and  are  always  safe  till  he  wills 
that  you  should  die,  I  advise  you  to  discourage  by  your  example  all  attention  to  those 
groundless  rumors  and  alarms,  which  can  only  excite  fear  among  the  weak  and  simple. 
Let  all  return  to  their  work,  and,  my  word  for  it,  not  a  person  will  die  a  single  instant 
sooner  than  God  himself  has  designed.  It  is  a  doctrine  of  our  faith.  And  when  the 
time  of  one's  death  does  come,  not  all  the  doctors  of  the  earth  can  save  him.  Let  me 
again  recpiest  all  to  set  their  houses  in  order,  and  live  prepared  to  die,  and  then 
death  can  have  no  terrors  for  them.  Now  there  is  every  reason  to  praise  God  that  he 
has  so  tempered  this  blow  with  mercy ;  and  we  have  great  cause  to  thank  those  around 
us  for  their  generous  attentions  to  our  sick,  which  have  been  gratefully  noticed  by 
those  who  have  been  continual  witnesses  of  their  charity.  I  recommend  them  to  your 
prayers,  that  God  will  reward  them  according  to  their  generosity.  As  an  instance,  of 
it,  I  might  allude  to  the  time,  two  years  since,  when  the  mills  were  stopped,  and  hun- 
dreds, with  no  work  to  do,  were  at  the  mercy  of  poverty.  During  that  winter  not  a 
single  person  in  Lawrence  was  sent  to  the  poorhouse,  but  all  were  maintained  by  the 
generosity  of  those  around  them.  And  now  the  American  people  here  have  done  all 
in  their  power  to  relieve  and  comfort  us  ;  they  have  wept,  they  have  lamented,  and  they 
have  succored  and  assisted  us.  It  is  Almighty  God  who  raises  up  those  friends  for 
you.  He  has  provided  them  to  extend  the  hand  of  sympathy  and  attention  to  those 
in  affliction,  at  a  time  like  that  described  by  the  prophet,  when  Rachel  bewaileth  her 
children,  and  will  not  be  comforted,  for  she  hath  them  not.     Pray  for  them,  I  entreat 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  51 

you.  Let  your  prayers  ascend  for  all ;  they  will  avail  just  as  much  for  those  who  are 
absent  as  for  those  who  are  before  you,  for  those  who  are  away  upon  the  stormy  sea  as 
well  as  for  those  who  are  at  your  side.  Pray  that  the  Almighty  God  will  grant  them 
heaven,  and  that  the  gates  may  stand  open  to  them,  and  that  they  may  receive  the  joys 
of  Paradise." 

REV.  MR.  TAAFFE,  AT  THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION  (CATHOLIC). 

This  church  was  also  hung  in  mourning,  and  crowded  with  people.  After  the  cus- 
tomary exercises,  Father  Taaffe  spoke  as  follows : — 

"  Dearly  beloved,  who  of  us  could  have  believed  last  Sabbath  that,  ere  another  Sun- 
day's sun  had  risen,  such  a  change  had  been  wrought  among  us,  —  such  a  calamity  had 
befallen  our  people.  Feelings  are  such  at  this  time  that  I  cannot  speak  in  detail, 
neither  do  I  wish  to  harrow  up  your  sympathies.  We  meet  this  -morning  to  render  our 
prayers  in  behalf  of  those  whose  souls  have  been  called  from  earth  so  suddenly.  At 
the  same  time  we  will  contribute  freely  to  aid  those  suffering,  and  our  prayers  shall  be 
given  to  strengthen  the  widows  and  orphans  in  their  overwhelming  grief.  I  trust  that 
many  of  those  dear  ones  who  have  so  suddenly  been  taken  from  us,  had  even  time 
enough  to  make  their  peace  with  God,  and  that  he  will  have  mercy  on  them.  Those 
who  had  not,  I  trust  God  will  take  to  his  home,  as  the  '  Shepherd  his  lambs,'  and  be 
merciful  to  them.  We  give  thanks  to  Almighty  God  that  we  have  a  Mother.  She 
followeth  us  with  prayers  to  the  throne  of  grace.  We  are  all  children  of  that  Mother, 
and  she  will  never  cease  to  render  supplications  when  her  children  are  in  trouble  and 
affliction.  I  would  request  that  the  names  of  all  who  have  perished  be  given  me  that 
they  may  be  entered  upon  the  list  of  last  '  All  Souls'  Day.'  We  shall  pray  for  them 
every  Mass,  and  the  names  will  be  announced  next  Sabbath.  I  have  received  a  proc- 
lamation from  the  mayor  of  our  city,  requesting  all  to  set  apart  Tuesday  next  as  a  day 
of  fasting  and  prayer.  But  the  Catholic  Church  needs  no  such  proclamation;  she  does 
not  recognize  auy  authority  in  a  matter  of  this  nature ;  her  children  are  ever  ready 
and  willing  to  aid  the  unfortunate,  without  being  '  authorized  '  to  do  it." 

A  Day  of  Fasting  and  Prayer. 

In  all  the  churches  on  the  Sabbath  was  read  a  proclamation  of  the  mayor  appointing 
a  day  to  be  observed  by  a  cessation  of  business,  and  appropriate  services  in  the  several 
churches.  The  announcement  Avas  made  public  through  the  newspapers  of  Monday, 
and  every  citizen  of  Lawrence  favored  an  action  which  seemed  to  promise  a  result  at 
once  so  soothing  and  beneficial.     The  following  was  the 

PROCLAMATION. 

"  City  of  Lawrence,  Jan.  14,  1860. 

"  In  view  of  the  great  calamity  which  has  fallen  upon  our  city  like  a  thunderbolt  from 
a  cloudless  sky,  crushing  it  with  a  weight  of  misery  which  no  earthly  power  can  raise ; 
shrouding  it  in  a  cloud  of  anguish  which  no  human  hand  can  dispel ;  binding  in  chains 
of  woe  which  despair  even  cannot  break,  I  recommend  and  earnestly  beseech  that  on 
Tuesday  next,  all  residents  of  Lawrence  abstain  from  their  usual  avocations  and  labors. 

"  That  they  set  apart  that  day  as  one  of  prayer. 

"  That  the  people  meet  in  their  respective  places  of  worship,  to  join  in  those  religious 
ceremonies  which  the  occasion  demands,  and  there  publicly  ask  of  God  that  he  would 
temper  our  affliction  with  mercy ;  that  he  would  restore  to  health  and  strength  those 
now  languishing  in  pain  and  suffering  ;  that  he  would  provide  with  a  father's  care  for 


52  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

the  orphans  and  widows ;  that  he  would  comfort  and  sustain  those  bereaved  of  hus- 
bands and  of  wives,  of  parents  and  of  children  ;  that  he  would  so  order  the  signal  de- 
struction of  life  and  property,  that  good  may  come  out  of  this  great  evil ;  and  that  this, 
our  experience,  may  teach  wisdom  throughout  the  land. 

"  DANIEL  SAUNDERS  Jr.,  Mayor." 

The  day  thus  set  apart  was  mild  and  springlike.  The  sky  was  clear,  and  the 
sun  shed  a  mantle  of  cheerful  warmth  over  the  city,  wherein  were  hearts  upon  which 
rested  a  leaden  weight  of  woe — hearts  cold  and  sad  in  the  midst  of  all  the  sunshine  and 
sympathy  which  a  kindly  Providence  and  loving  friends  bestowed.  The  appalling  catas- 
trophe, one  short  week  before,  with  its  train  of  melancholy  events,  had  subdued  the  worldly 
zealous,  humbled  the  haughty,  and  brought  the  high  and  the  low  into  closer  fellowship 
than  ages  of  prosperity  could  have  done.  There  were  none  so  poor  but  could  add  their 
mite  to  the  general  fund  for  the  relief  of  their  suffering  fellows,  nor  yet  so  rich  as  to 
despise  the  counsel  that  cometh  from  above.  To  this  source  they  appealed  for  assistance. 
Christian  people  of  all  denominations  betook  themselves  to  their  respective  churches, 
acknowledging  their  dependence  upon  the  Giver  of  all  good,  and  drawing  consolation 
from  the  lips  of  the  preacher. 

Services  were  performed  in  all  the  churches,  and  the  prayer-meetings,  continued 
through  the  day  and  evening,  were  imbued  with  that  spirit  of  earnestness  which  could 
only  be  awakened  by  some  event  that  laid  hold  of  the  hearts  of  the  people.  The 
city  was  draped  with  emblems  of  mourning,  and  shrouded  with  an  impenetrable  gloom. 
The  fears  of  some  that  a  day's  liberty  would  be  largely  abused  proved  groundless. 
Nearly  all  of  the  population,  not  confined  by  the  care  of  the  suffering,  were  abroad. 
They  filled  the  churches  and  thronged  the  streets,  and  thousands  visited  the  City  Hall. 
No  scene  of  drunkenness  or  ribaldry  disturbed  the  mournful  spirit  of  the  day.  So  far  as 
could  be  observed,  the  demeanor  of  every  person  was  consistent  and  appropriate.  Too 
many  hearts  were  wounded  or  warned  to  allow  of  levity  or  of  much  indifference.  The 
plaees  of  business  were  closed,  the  hum  of  industry  was  not  heard,  and  the  streets  wore 
a  Sabbath-day  appearance,  sanctified  by  an  unusual  solemnity.  In  the  house  of  God  a 
deep  interest  prevailed.  To  many  it  was  an  occasion  of  unparalleled  moment.  To 
those  who  in  this  calamity,  saw  so  near  the  hand  of  God,  indifference  was  impossible. 

Mass  for  the  Dead- 

At  the  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  (Catholic,  Rev.  Mr.  Taaffe),  Thursday 
was  set  apart  and  most  appropriately  observed.  The  house  was  well  filled  and  the  services 
were  of  that  solemn  and  impressive  nature  peculiar  to  the  Catholic  Church.  The  Very 
Rev.  Mr.  Williams,  Vicar  General  of  the  Diocese,  officiated,  assisted  by  Rev.  Mr.  Roach, 
of  Randolph,  as  deacon,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Lynch,  of  Boston,  as  sub-deacon.  Rev.  Mr. 
Healy  of  Boston  Cathedral,  acted  as  Master  of  Cei'emonies.  Father  McElroy,  S.  J.,  of 
Boston,  delivered  a  discourse  upon  the  occasion.  The  drift  of  the  sermon  was  to  afibrd 
consolation  and  strengthen  confidence.  He  counselled  those  afflicted  not  to  grieve,  but 
to  receive  their  affliction  from  the  hand  of  God  their  heavenly  Father,  whose  mysterious 
ways  we  could  not  divine.  He  spoke  of  the  wellspring  of  charity,  flowing  freely,  and 
showed  the  cause  for  gratitude  to  God  for  inspiring  men  to  relieve  the  wants  of  the  suf- 
fering. The  Church  did  not  lose  sight  of  its  children  even  in  the  next  world,  and 
thus  they  were  collected  together  in  its  sacred  edifice  to  pray  for  their  repose.  A  holy 
sacrifice  was  offered  for  them  to-day.  He  closed  by  showing  what  a  solemn  warning 
was  thus  given  to  all,  and  urged  his  hearers  to  take  heed  and  prepare  for  death  and 
for  any  event  of  life.     The  clergymen  present,  besides  those  already  mentioned,  were 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  53 

Rev.  Messrs.  Taaffe,  O'Donnell,  of  Lawrence,  McNulty,  of  North  Boylston,  John  O'Don- 
nell,  of  Nashua,  McDonnell,  of  Haverhill,  O'Connor,  of  Lowell,  Wiget,  of  Boston,  Hamil- 
ton, of  Charlestown,  Carroll,  of  Foxboro',  Flood,  of  Watertown,  Crudder,  of  Lowell, 
Leach,  of  Newburyport,  Gray,  of  Lowell,  and  Strain,  of  Chelsea.  The  choir  from  the 
cathedral  of  Boston  sang  Mozart's  Requiem  in  solemn,  beautiful  style. 

Burial  of  the  Dead. 

Several  funerals  had  taken  place  on  Saturday,  attended  with  a  haste  which  betokened 
too  plainly  the  sad  exigencies  of  the  case.  Coffin-makers  and  undertakers  had  been  at 
work  day  and  night,  and  the  harvest  of  death,  garnered  during  the  past  week,  had,  in 
gathering  the  living  to  their  fathers,  ploughed  furrows  in  the  bosom  of  many  a  country 
graveyard,  and  of  many  a  once  happy  family.  One  coffin-maker  stated  that  he  had 
supplied  thirty-nine  coffins  for  the  victims  of  the  disaster  who  received  "  Christian 
burial,"  besides  a  number  of  boxes  in  which  the  remains  of  several  of  the  unknown  and 
unwept  had  been  buried. 

Nine  bodies  and  parts  of  the  remains  of  others  were  buried  in  two  boxes,  in  the 
Lawrence  cemetery.  The  body  of  Samuel  Rolfe  was  taken  to  Newburyport  for  inter- 
ment ;  that  of  Miss  Irene  Crosby  to  Chatham,  Mass.  The  funeral  of  Catharine  Sweeney 
took  place  on  the  Saturday  after  the  accident  Some  half  a  dozen  men,  and  an  equal 
number  of  women,  followed  the  remains  to  the  grave  on  foot,  the  women  wringing  their 
hands  and  giving  vent  to  the  most  bitter  lamentations  as  the  simple  cortege  moved 
through  the  streets. 

The  funeral  of  Miss  Ann  Cullen,  one  of  the  victims,  took  place  from  the  residence  of 
her  brother,  in  Essex  Street,  Chelsea,  on  Friday.  She  died  shortly  after  being  rescued 
from  the  ruins.  Her  sister,  who  had  not  seen  her  for  years,  left  Chelsea  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  sad  catastrophe  for  the  purpose  of  meeting  her  at  the  mill.  She  arrived  in 
Lawrence  just  at  the  time  the  building  fell,  and  in  the  morning,  among  the  remains  of 
those  conveyed  to  the  City  Hall,  she  recognized  the  body  of  her  sister. 

The  Funeral  of  LafFayette  F.  Branch. 

Mr.  Branch  was  the  only  overseer  who  perished.  His  funeral  ceremonies  were  per- 
formed on  the  15th  of  January  at  the  Lawrence  Street  Congregational  Church,  Rev. 
Dr.  C.  E.  Fisher  officiating.  The  funeral  was  attended  by  a  portion  of  the  City  Gov- 
ernment, and  a  numerous  assemblage  of  the  congregation,  of  which  the  deceased  was 
long  a  member.  The  corpse,  attired  in  citizen's  dress,  was  enclosed  in  a  black  walnut 
coffin,  which  bore  a  plate  inscribed  with  the  name,  date  of  death,  and  age  of  the 
deceased.  The  remains,  though  five  days  inanimate,  presented  a  remarkably  lifelike 
appearance.  Prior  to  the  removal  of  the  body  from  the  former  residence  of  the  de- 
ceased, No.  2  Pemberton  Block,  services  were  performed  by  Rev.  Mr.  Fisher.  The 
coffin  was  borne  into  the  church  and  placed  upon  an  elevated  pedestal  in  front  of  the 
altar.  The  bearers  were.  Thomas  S.  Winn,  J.  M.  Reed,  John  Tatterson,  late  overseers 
in  the  Pemberton  Mill,  R.  M.  Hobbs,  George  A.  Fuller,  and  Caleb  T.  Briggs.  As  the 
coffin  passed  up  the  aisle,  the  organ  pealed  forth  a  solemn  dirge.  The  services  com- 
menced by  the  singing  of  the  665th  hymn  of  the  collection:  — 

"  Thou  God  of  hope!  to  thee  we  bow; 
Thou  art  our  refuge  in  distress; 
The  husband  of  the  widow  now, 
The  father  of  the  fatherless." 

Selections  of  Scripture  were  read  by  the  preacher,  after  which  he  addressed  the 


54 


THE    LAAVRENCE    CALAMITY. 


mourners  in  words  of  consolation,  and  in  the  prayer  which  followed,  invoked  the  bless- 
ing of  the  Almighty  upon  the  widow  and  the  fatherless  children  of  the  deceased. 


LIST    OF    THE    DEAD    AND    INJURED. 

The  following  list  of  the  dead,  badly  injured,  slightly  injured,  and  missing  or  unidenti- 
fied, has  been  officially  revised  and  corrected,  and  is  believed  to  be  accurate.  It  was 
compiled  by  Hon.  John  R.  Rollins,  Ex-Mayor.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  total  number  of 
dead  and  missing,  is  ninety  ;  of  this  number,  seventy-six  bodies  have  been  recovered 
and  recognized,  thirteen  are  yet  unrecognized,  leaving  but  one  missing. 


Dead— Total,  76. 


Mary  Ann  Bannon, 
Bridget  Bronder, 
William  Jordan, 
Joanna  Cronan, 
Irene  Crosby, 
Hannah  Shea, 
Margaret  Sullivan, 
Dennis  Leonard, 
Wm.  Metcalf, 
John  C.  Dearborn, 
Peter  Callahan, 
Bernard  Hollificld, 
Margaret  Hamilton, 
Ellen  Colbert, 
Mary  Griffin, 
Catherine  Hannon, 
Michael  O'Brien, 
Margaret  Foley, 
Mary  Cullotcn, 
Kate  Conners, 
Margaret  Fallon, 
Joanna  Hurley, 
Mary  Howard, 
Martin  Hughes, 
Margaret  Corcoran, 
Bridget  Crosby, 
Catherine  Kelleher, 
Eliza  Orr, 
Julia  Roberts, 
Bridget  Ryan, 
Wm.  Kane, 
Wm.  Adolph, 
Elizabeth  R.  Kimball, 
Richard  Lunney, 
Ann  Sullivan, 
Mary  Jcwett, 
Richard  Midgely, 
Ellen  Hiekev, 


Lizzie  Towne, 
Ellen  Mahoney, 
Orin  C.  Nash, 
Samuel  Rolfe, 
Bridget  Loughrey, 
Morris  C.  Palmer, 
Matthew  C.  Ryan, 
Hannah  Mulinex, 
Mary  MeCann, 
Catherine  Cooney, 
Ellen  Sullivan, 
Ellen  Dmneen, 
Mary  Dooley, 
James  Ilarty, 
James  Ilartigan, 
Catherine  O'Brien, 
Mary  Nice, 
Mary  Murphy, 
Catherine  Sweeny, 
Margaret  Coleman, 
Mary  Barrett, 
Elizabeth  Dunn, 
Catherine  Ilarrigan, 
Augusta  Ashworth, 
Ellen  Ahem, 
Patrick  Connor, 
Lafayette  F.  Branch, 
Ellen  Conners, 
Ellen  Roach, 
Margaret  Turnor, 
Mary  Burke, 
Bridget  Gallan, 
Lorinda  Gilson, 
Jane  Thomas, 
Katy  Clarke, 
John  Hughes, 
Maggie  J.  Smith, 
Celia  A.  Stevens. 


Bridget  Kelly, 
JohnMcNab, 
Asenath  S.  Martin, 
Sarah  Lyons, 
Ellen  Linkinson, 
Margaret  Donnelly, 
Eliza  Wabiggan, 


Missing  or  Unidentified.— Total,  14. 

Joseph  Baily, 
Henry  Ilarrigan, 
Dora  Harold, 
Mary  Ryan. 
Jeremiah  Ahern, 
Ellen  Robinson, 
Lizzie  A.  Flint. 


THE   LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 


55 


Badly  Injured. 


Mary  Armstrong, 
Eliza  Baker, 
Julia  Blake, 
Jane  Brooks, 
Ellen  Bradbury, 
Elizabeth  Burns, 
Ellen  C.  Barry, 
Richard  Bradley, 
Ellen  Bohive, 
Bridget  Bradley, 
Jane  Bradley, 
Owen  Bremen, 
Jane  Cragg, 
Mary  Callagan, 
Kirans  Cortland, 
Mary  A.  Coleman, 
Margaret  Cremen, 
Margaret  Kirburg, 
Mary  Cummings, 
William  Childs, 
Elizabeth  Connell, 
Mary  Crosby, 
Joanna  Carty, ' 
Mary  Callaghan, 
Mary  Callahan, 
Catharine  Conners, 
Thomas  Conners, 
Charlotte  Carleton, 
Mary  Caren, 
Margaret  Caren, 
Catharine  Clary, 
C.  Carney, 
Catharine  Campbell, 
James  Davis, 
Cate  Dunley, 
Mary  Dougherty, 
Michael  Daley, 
Sarah  Dew, 
Anna  Doraty, 
Margaret  Donnahan, 
Catharine  Dolan, 
Sarah  Doyle, 
Mary  Fox, 
Mary  A.  Emery, 
Robert  Flannagan, 
Ahnira  Ford, 
Patrick  Flannagan, 
Hannah  Finnesy, 
Ann  Falen, 
Constantino  Fiedler, 
Ann  Galvin, 
Hannah  Garny, 
Mary  Ann  Hickey, 
Kate  Harrigan, 
Owen  Ilarran, 
Ellen  Hannon, 
Rosana  Heirop, 
Margaret  Hayden, 
Jennette  Henderson, 
Robert  Hayes, 
Wm.  Henry  Hall, 


Betsey  Heath, 
Maria  Hall, 
Damony  Hone, 
James  Hickey, 
Hannah  Hayes, 
Mary  Fenherty, 
John  Fanon, 
Catherine  Ivory, 
Job  Jewett, 
Lizzie  L.  Kingsbury, 
Elizabeth  Kelley, 
Mary  Kennedy, 
Lawrence  Kennedy, 
Rose  Kcnney, 
Margaret  Kerby, 
Henry  Koehler, 
Ellen  Lyons, 
Michael  Lavin, 
Mary  Laugh  ton, 
Catherine  Landers, 
Rosana  Lynch, 
Jessie  Leach, 
Abb)-  Pottle, 
Mary  Muichaney, 
Ann  Manion, 
Mary  McGovern, 
Mary  McAleer, 
Catharine  Muichaney, 
Barney  McGee, 
Michael  McCormick, 
Ann  McKee, 
Ellen  McCarty, 
Ellen  McKanny, 
Wm.  Me  Comb, 
Samuel  Martin, 
Ellen  Mahoney, 
Catharine  Manyan, 
Patrick  O'Donnell, 
Patrick  O'Hare, 
Caroline  O'Brien, 
Jerry  O'Brien, 
Hendessy  Smith, 
Henry  Hickman, 
John  Quinn, 
Ann  Rafferty, 
Margaret  Ryan, 
Catharine  Rooks, 
Jeremiah  Reardon, 
Fanny  Reed, 
Ann  Scanlan, 
Bridget  Scanlan, 
Frank  Scannell, 
Mary  A.  Sullivan, 
Augustus  Sampson, 
Margaret  Shory, 
Robert  Seaver, 
Wm.  Shackibrd, 
Mary  Sampson, 
Eliza  Watson, 
Elizabeth  Ward, 
John  Welsh, 


56- 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 


Winna  Waters, 
Sarah  Warner, 
T.  H.  Watson, 
D.  Watson, 
Michael  Wrens, 
Wm.  Young, 


Benj.  G.  Adams, 
Edward  Blake, 
Caroline  Brown, 
Abby  Brown, 
Hannah  Blake, 
Domonie  Burns, 
Mary  Burns, 
Patrick  Burns, 
August  Bergen, 
Jennie  Bereham, 
Margaret  Bulger, 
Timothy  Bukl'ey, 
Ellen  Bukley, 
Catharine  Bresnehan, 
Bridget  Barry, 
Mary  Broder, 
Lucy  Boynton, 
Margaret  Babb, 
Mary  A.  Brusseil, 
Ellen  Connor, 
Catharine  Carroll, 
Ellen  Clary, 
Catharine  Cussock, 
Catharine  Callaghan, 
Thomas  Connors, 
Catharine  Cameron, 
Mary  Colbert, 
Edward  Clark, 
Edward  Calbert, 
Nancy  Connelly, 
Catharine  Callaghan, 
Mary  A.  Carkland, 
Kate  Claney, 
Patrick  Creley, 
Ellen  Cain, 
Ellen  Collins, 
Hannah  Carl, 
Hannah  Callaghan, 
Mary  Daley, 
Julia  Daley, 
James  Dearborn, 
Mrs.  James  Dearborn, 
Mary  Dufiee, 
Margaret  Donovan, 
Hellena  Donovan, 
Hannah  Daley, 
Austrice  Day, 
Hannah  Daley, 
Dominick  Dowd, 
Arthur  Dick, 
Thomas  Durrell, 
Margaret  Dooly, 


Mary  York, 
Sarah  A.  York, 
Joshua  Jewett, 
James  Kenney, 
Ira  D.  Locke, 
Catharine  Jordan. 


Slightly  Injured. 


Bridget  Dolan, 
William  Elwood, 
Ann  Farmer, 
Mary  W.  Fern  side, 
Selina  Fernside, 
Catharine  Farns, 
Mary  Falen, 
Daniel  Galvin, 
Mary  Glynn, 
Mary  Griffin, 
Michael  Garvcn, 
Thomas  Goodwin, 
Hannah  Hurley, 
Hannah  Harkins, 
Patrick  Higgins, 
Ellen  Hartigan, 
Michael  Hart, 
Margary  Heirop, 
Jane  Haley, 
Catharine  Hartigan, 
Thomas  Hopping, 
Michael  Howard, 
M.  King, 
Coughlan  Kean, 
Mary  Kellren, 
Mark  Kelty, 
Mary  Kiernan, 
Mary  Lavin, 
Ellen  Linehan, 
William  Lawler, 
Jane  Leyden, 
Rosie  Mulvey, 
Charles  Morgan, 
George  Marther, 
Alice  McCarty, 
Patrick  McCarty, 
Ellen  Murphy, 
Mary  Moore, 
Robert  Moore, 
Mary  Metcalf, 
Henry  Martin, 
Isaiah  Majerson, 
Kate  Manning, 
Patrick  McQuinn, 
Ellen  McCarty, 
Ellen  Murphy, 
Catharine  Morrisy, 
Hannorah  Mahooney, 
Catharine  Mc Sweeney, 
Catharine  Moran, 
Ellen  Murphy, 
Edward  Murphy, 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 


57 


Cynthia  Mc  Carter, 
Darius  Nash, 
William  O'Donnell, 
Margaret  O'Brien, 
Barney  O'Connell, 
Mary  O'Donnell, 
Margaret  O'Connors, 
Mary  O'Donnell, 
Margaret  O'Donald, 
Catharine  Phelan, 
Mary  Phelan, 
Anna  M.  Patch, 
Daniel  Parant, 
T.  W.  Roberts, 
Thomas  Rowley, 
Ann  Reagan, 
Patrick  Ryan, 
Anna  Ryan, 
Catharine  Ryan, 
Francis  Rafferty, 
Ellen  Ryan, 
Elizabeth  Ryan, 
Mary  Russell, 
Daniel  Reyal, 
George  Raperson, 
Margaret  Reardon, 
Rosetta  Robinson, 
Matthew  Robinson, 
Ann  Reardon, 
John  Reardon, 
Michael  Reardon, 
Thomas  Roach, 
Keziah  Stevens, 


Betsey  Scanlan, 
Jerry  Sullivan, 
Arthur  Sullivan, 
Mary  Sullivan, 
Margaret  Sullivan, 
Bridget  Sullivan, 
Mary  Sullivan, 
Helmina  Staigcer, 
Hannah  Shcan, 
Jane  Sweet, 
Eliza  Stanley, 
M.  W.  Stiles, 
Prudence  Spread, 
Margaret  Seavy, 
Mary  Sugden, 
Bridget  Sampson, 
Mary  Slaven, 
Margaret  Staven, 
Dennis  Swaney, 
Henry  Stoodley, 
Viena  Stratton, 
Sovina  Stratton, 
John  Stevenson, 
Michael  Sullivan, 
Margaret  Sullivan, 
James  Wheeler, 
John  Ward, 
Mary  Welch, 
Sharon  Wilkinson, 
Elizabeth  Watson, 
Catharine  Welch, 
Sarah  York. 


THE   CORONER'S  INQUEST. 

An  iiicpiest  over  the  bodies  of  those  killed  by  the  catastrophe,  commenced  Thurs- 
day morning,  January  12,  at  the  City  Hall,  in  Lawrence. 

Dr.  William  D.  Lamb  was  coroner ;  and  the  jurors  were,  —  Messrs.  W.  H.  P. 
Wright  (foreman),  J.  H.  Dana,  Edward  Page,  Leonard  Stoddard,  Leonard  F. 
Creesey,  and  S.  P.  Simmons. 

Caleb  Saunders  was  chosen  clerk. 

The  evidence  of  witnesses  was  then  taken,  continuing  ten  days.  We  give  an 
abstract  of  the  evidence,  prepared  for  the  purpose. 


First  Day.— Morning  Session. 


TESTIMONY      OF 


E .     CLARKE, 


I  was  paymaster  on  the  corporation,  and  was  in  the  building  on  the  day  of  the 
accident ;  I  was  in  the  general  office,  and  started  to  go  into  the  paymaster's  office, 
when  I  was  stunned  by  a  sensation  like  an  earthquake;  the  door  from  the  main  mill, 
the  carding-room,  was  broken  out  by  the  hands  there ;  I  went  out,  and  when  I  got 
out  and  stood  on  the  railroad  track,  the  end  wall  of  the  mill  fell  down ;  it  was  about 
half-past  four  o'clock ;  I  saw  steam  escaping  from  the  boiler  after  the  accident ;  the 
boiler  was  in  an  out-building,  connected  Avith  the  main  building  at  the  south-west 
corner ;  I  have  not  a  list  of  all  those  employed ;  there  was  one  in  the  counting-room, 


58  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

but  it  was  destroyed  by  fire  ;  after  the  accident,  I  was  engaged  in  the  rear  of  the 
building,  relieving  those  from  within,  until  just  before  the  fire  got  under  way ;  after 
going  away  for  a  short  time,  I  returned,  and  found  that  it  was  too  late  to  save  the 
list ;  I  had  locked  up  the  safe  ;  Frank  Bobbins  told  me  that  he  was  near  by  when  the 
fire  commenced  ;  in  the  safe  there  is  no  perfect  list  of  the  hands  employed ;  it  was  left 
out  of  the  safe,  as  the  clerk  was  using  it  at  the  time  ;  there  is  no  means  of  knowing 
how  much  is  due  to  each  of  the  hands,  excepting  that  due  bills  were  given  to  all  the 
hands,  excepting  in  the  weaving-room,  up  to  the  last  Saturday  in  December ;  never 
knew  of  any  settling  of  the  mill  before ;  thought  I  had  noticed  that  there  was  not 
so  much  shaking  while  in  operation  as  in  other  mills. 

TESTIMONY   OF   HENRY   L.   NEWHALL. 

I  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Pemberton  Manufacturing  Company  as  clerk ;  I  was 
there  on  the  afternoon  of  the  10th  inst.,  at  my  desk ;  first  I  heard  was  a  slight  crash, 
which  I  did  n't  notice  much ;  then  a  sound  as  of  wind,  and  then  the  building  falling 
to  pieces  ;  I  went  to  the  outside  window  and  jumped  out ;  before  I  reached  the  ground 
the  building  was  in  ruins ;  there  was  no  more  than  two  or  three  seconds  between  first 
and  second  noise ;  I  had  just  time  to  warn  Mr.  Clark,  and  we  rushed  out :  I  got  out 
on  the  north  side  of  the  building ;  never  heard  any  body  say  the  building  was  dan- 
gerous before ;  never  felt  in  any  danger  myself;  I  should  judge  that  the  south  end 
fell  fii-st ;  I  should  say  that  no  more  than  four  came  out  of  the  room  on  the  level  of 
the  office ;  the  second  hand  came  out  just  ahead  of  me,  and  went  down  ;  the"re  were 
somewhere  between  900  and  950  operatives  in  the  employ  of  the  corporation ;  I 
should  think  there  were  about  seven  hundred  in  that  part  which  fell ;  can  form  no 
idea  of  how  many  came  out  without  assistance  ;  saw  one  woman  jump  from  the  upper 
story  to  the  ground  ;  did  n't  look  towards  the  mill  when  I  heard  the  crash ;  I  took  my 
hat  and  left ;  I  had  in  my  possession  the  last  pay-roll ;  I  was  writing  pay-envelopes, 
and  left  the  pay-roll  in  the  desk ;  there  was  one  pay-roll  in  the  safe,  which  was  made 
up  in  August ;  I  think  I  was  at  home  when  the  building  caught  fire  ;  I  left  the  build- 
ing at  half  past  eleven  o'clock. 

TESTIMONY  OF  JESSE   GLOVER. 

I  was  overseer  of  the  repair  shop  of  the  Pemberton  Manufacturing  Company ;  I 
was  present  on  the  corporation  on  the  afternoon  of  the  10th  ;  I  was  about  five  rods 
from  the  mill,  between  our  building  and  the  Washington  mills,  on  the  track  that  goes 
through  the  yard ;  I  was  looking  at  the  building ;  think  I  saw  the  building  settle  at 
the  lower  end  before  I  heard  any  noise  ;  then  there  was  a  sound  of  wind  rushing,  and 
the  flying  of  mortar ;  it  commenced  at  the  lower  end  to  settle,  and  ran  right  along 
the  building  as  fast  as  a  man  could  run ;  it  was  immediately  after  the  crash  that  I 
heard  the  escape  of  steam ;  saw  no  bricks  thrown  into  the  air,  nor  timber ;  think  the 
sound  of  wind  was  occasioned  by  the  fall  of  the  building ;  the  hissing  was  like  a  forty 
horse  engine,  with  a  pipe  broken  off ;  did  n't  hear  that  until  the  building  was  half 
down ;  I  supposed  that  a  pipe  was  broken ;  could  not  tell  which  part  of  the  building 
gave  way  first ;  I  have  examined  the  boiler  since,  and  I  believe  it  was  all  right,  and 
that  there  was  water  enough ;  I  went  to  the  repair  shop  to  see  if  any  of  the  men  were 
hurt ;  a  part  of  the  wall  was  knocked  in  by  the  falling  mill ;  I  went  then  to  the  assist- 
ance of  those  inside  ;  I  was  a  hundred  feet  from  the  fire  when  it  broke  out ;  I  should 
think  it  was  a  little  north  of  the  center  of  the  mill ;  I  could  n't  tell  in  what  room ;  it 
seemed  to  come  from  the  top  of  the  ruins  ;  there  were  a  good  many  people  about  the 


THL    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  59 

fire  when  it  broke  out ;  I  have  seen  some  little  cracks  about  the  building,  but  nothing 
serious,  no  more  than  frequently  seen  in  brick  buildings ;  I  never  did  anything  to 
strengthen  the  walls ;  think  something  of  that  kind  has  been  done ;  I  have  been  em- 
ployed here  three  years  and  a  half;  I  have  been  called  upon  sometimes  to  level  up 
the  machinery,  as  is  frequently  necessary  in  all  mills ;  never  leveled  up  more  than 
half  an  inch  ;  some  of  the  shafting  has  never  been  leveled  up  since  I  have  been  there  ; 
never  have  been  called  upon  to  do  any  thing  to  support  the  foundation ;  when  I  went 
there  I  heard  of  one  of  the  pillars  settling  in  the  cellar ;  I  can  give  no  reason  for  the 
falling ;  my  impression  has  been  that  the  walls  were  light ;  I  heard  of  some  trouble  to 
the  building  before  I  got  there.  [Witness  then  pointed  out  on  a  plan  of  the  building 
where  he  had  noticed  a  crack  in  the  brick-work.]  On  the  corner  next  to  the  shop 
there  was  a  crack  extending  between  the  building  and  the  chimney  the  whole  height ; 
at  the  top  this  crack  was  half  an  inch  wide,  and  one-fourth  of  an  inch  wide  at  the 
bottom ;  this  was  on  the  south-east  corner,  next  to  the  repair  shop ;  the  crack  ran 
straight  up  from  the  top  of  the  boiler-house  to  the  top  of  the  mill ;  the  building  and 
chimney  were  not  built  together ;  never  have  known  the  walls  to  give  way  since  I 
have  been  there ;  have  moved  some  four  fly-frames,  so  that  they  came  near  together  ; 
they  weighed  about  a  ton  apiece ;  the  men  who  were  at  work  on  them  were  saved ; 
think  they  were  not  moving  them  at  the  time  ;  I  have  not  examined  the  foundation 
since  the  accident ;  never  have  known  of  any  thing  serious  happening  to  the  founda- 
tions ;  think  between  the  windows  the  walls  were  eighteen  inches  thick  ;  the  windows 
were  very  large.  Have  understood  that  the  timbers  were  not  bolted  to  the  walls  ; 
think  the  building  was  not  so  well  constructed  as  buildings  of  that  size  should  be  ; 
think  bolts  have  been  put  in  to  strengthen  the  chimney. 

TESTIMONY   OF   JOHN   E.   CHASE. 

I  am  agent  of  the  Pemberton  Manufacturing  Company  ;  have  been  their  agent  six 
years,  ever  since  the  mill  started ;  I  was  in  the  centre  of  the  spinning-room,  in  the 
third  story,  near  the  wall,  at  the  time  of  the  accident ;  Mr.  Howe,  treasurer  of  the 
company,  was  with  me ;  we  were  going  south,  towards  the  river ;  I  was  conversing 
with  Mr.  Howe,  or  rather  I  stopped  him  to  call  his  attention  to  some  machinery ;  we 
then  saw  about  forty  feet  of  the  building,  south  end,  falling,  and  before  I  got  Mr. 
Howe  around,  the  crash  had  come  half  way  of  the  mill ;  think  I  saw  this  before  I 
heard  a  noise ;  all  I  saw  was  the  centre  of  the  mill  falling ;  we  escaped  out  into  a 
wing  ;  I  could  hear  the  wind  and  feel  the  splinters,  as  though  the  timbers  were  fall- 
ing ;  the  building  was  five  stories  high  ;  nothing  fell  on  me  while  I  was  escaping,  in 
the  cloth-room ;  there  was  less  weight  above  at  that  end,  than  at  other  parts  of  the 
building ;  the  first  floor  was  the  weaving-room ;  the  second,  spinning ;  the  third,  card- 
ing ;  the  fourth,  carding  and  spinning ;  the  fifth,  dressing,  spooling,  and  finishing ; 
there  had  been  a  change  of  four  fly-frames  that  day,  from  that  end  which  fell,  to  the 
west  side ;  before  that  they  were  in  the  south-east  corner  ;  after  the  crash  I  felt  so 
faint,  that  I  could  not  do  much ;  the  people  of  the  cloth-room  were  there  when  I  got 
there  ;  do  n't  think  many  got  out  the  way  I  did ;  I  went  below,  and  found  the  safe 
open  ;  locked  it,  and  went  out ;  can  give  no  idea  of  how  many  were  saved ;  we  have 
given  notice  to  have  all  hands  now  alive  call  and  register  their  names  at  the  Essex 
counting-room  ;  know  of  no  way  to  get  at  a  full  list  of  those  employed  in  the  mills ; 
I  was  on  the  railroad  track  when  the  fire  broke  out ;  at  the  time  of  the  accident  the 
gas  was  lighted  in  all  the  rooms  except  the  carding-room  ;  Mr.  Pindar,  superintendent 
of  Washington  mills,  said  he  saw  the  origin  of  the  fire  ;  there  were  cracks  at  each  side 


60  TIIE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

of  the  chimney,  caused  by  the  swaying  of  the  chimney ;  they  were  half  an  inch  wide 
at  the  top,  and  disappeared  at  the  second  story ;  the  chimney  was  stiffened,  but  not 
wholly  on  that  account ;  the  crack  followed  the  window  corners ;  never  saw  any  indi- 
cation of  the  building  settling ;  the  beams  settled  or  sprung  about  two  inches  when 
we  first  put  them  in,  but  they  were  firm  in  that  condition,  and  were  all  trussed ;  the 
trusses  were  extra  to  the  contract ;  there  were  no  cracks  at  the  time  they  were  put 
in ;  there  was  another  small  crack,  also  caused  by  the  swaying  of  the  chimney ;  the 
building  was  284  feet  long,  and  84  feet  wide,  outside ;  attached  to  that  was  an  L, 
which  did  not  fall ;  there  was  also  a  sort  of  shed  on  the  west  side,  used  for  weaving  : 
noticed  less  motion  in  this  building  than  in  other  mills ;  always  believed  the  mill  per- 
fectly safe ;  there  was  some  talk  about  the  building  being  unsafe  when  it  was  built, 
but  after  it  stood  six  years,  I  considered  it  safe  ;  there  was  at  one  time  a  leakage  of 
the  penstock,  which  affected  the  river  building,  and  not  the  main  mill ;  another  leak- 
age washed  away  some  of  the  foundation  from  the  south-east  corner ;  the  building 
was  examined  at  that  time. 

TESTIMONY   OF   JOHN   TATTERSON. 

I  was  overseer  of  the  wing  department  on  the  first  floor  ;  my  office  was  in  the  north 
part  of  the  building,  and  I  just  stepped  from  it  into  the  main  room,  when  I  saw  about 
two-thirds  of  the  lower  part  coming  down  with  a  downward  curvature  in  the  centre ; 
I  went  into  the  corner  of  the  room  where  the  gas  meter  was ;  there  was  a  bank  wall 
which  protected  this  part ;  the  part  which  I  saw  falling  was  south  of  the  middle  ; 
noticed  no  bulging  of  the  walls  ;  it  was  done  very  quick.  Heard  no  explosion  ;  I  was 
assisted  out  from  the  place  where  I  was  confined  about  twenty  minutes  or  half  an  hour 
after  the  fall ;  have  been  in  the  employ  of  the  corporation  five  and  one  half  years ; 
when  I  had  been  here  abput  two  months,  one  pillar  settled,  and  the  settling  (about 
two  inches)  extended  to  the  top ;  the  foundation  did  not  settle  ;  there  was  an  iron 
called  a  pillar,  which  went  through  the  pillar  lengthwise  ;  on  the  pintle  was  a  flange 
which  rested  on  the  head  of  the  pillar ;  by  the  pressure  the  flange  was  broken  off. 
Have  nothing  in  my  possession  to  show  who  worked  for  me  ;  think  I  can  tell  from 
memory ;  the  certificates  were  not  distributed  —  they  were  in  my  desk,  and  were  con- 
sumed; the  centre  of  the  building  seemed  to  fall  faster  than  the  walls;  there  was 
some  gearing  at  the  south  part  of  the  building,  which  was  considered  not  properly  put 
up ;  think  about  thirty  of  my  hands  are  lost;  never  felt  any  insecurity  here. 

TESTIMONY    OF  JOHN  PINDAR. 

I  am  employed  at  the  Washington  Mills,  and  was  there  on  the  afternoon  of  the  ac- 
cident ;  I  was  coming  out  of  the  Dye  House  ;  was  not  looking  at  it ;  was  at  the  ex- 
treme end  of  the  Washington  Mills  from  the  Pemberton ;  I  was  there  from  that  time 
until  3  o'clock  next  morning ;  my  attention  was  called  to  it  by  the  second  overseer  of 
the  Dye  House  ;  I  was  present  when  the  fire  took  place  ;  persons  were  picking  around 
among  the  ruins  looking  after  dead  persons,  where  a  large  amount  of  cotton  was  ex- 
posed ;  said  I,  "  For  God's  sake,  look  out  for  fire  with  your  lanterns  ; "  there  were  four 
or  five  persons  there  with  two  lanterns ;  then  soon  after  I  saw  the  fire  blaze  up,  and 
the  people  came  out,  and  I  saw  but  one  lantern  come  out.  The  fire  took  from  the 
loose  cotton  hanging  around  the  carding  machines  ;  heard  nothing  like  breaking  of 
glass ;  have  heard  no  individual  say  he  saw  a  lantern  broken ;  the  lantern  looked  like 
a  common  oil  lantern ;  heard  a  voice  below  among  the  carding  machines  over  which 
the  roofing  had  fallen. 


THE   LAWRENCE   CALAMITY.  61 

TESTIMONY   OF   RICHARD   H.   PLTJMER. 

I  was  present  on  the  ruins  of  the  Pemberton  Mills,  the  evening  of  the  10th ;  was 
there  at  the  time  when  the  fire  originated  ;  was  stationed  at  one  end,  and  I  left  that 
nlace  in  charge  of  Mr.  Coolidge  and  went  towards  the  center  of  the  building  to  cut 
a  hole ;  we  cut  a  hole  in  the  roofing  about  ten  feet  by  three  feet;  we  found  some  dead 
bodies  there,  and  there  were  some  persons  there  endeavoring  to  get  out  another  body ; 
two  persons  were  holding  lanterns  for  these  men ;  one  of  the  lanterns  dropped  ;  can't 
say  whether  it  broke,  but  fire  sprung  up  from  some  loose  cotton ;  I  called  for  water, 
but  found  none;  took  off  my  coat  to  cover  the  fire  and  smother  it,  but  it  bad  got  so 
large  that  I  could  not.  Did  not  see  the  mill  fall ;  there  were  living  persons  in  the  ruins 
when  the  fire  broke  out ;  a  man  was  taken  out  with  his  leg  broken ;  saw  a  woman  alive 
whom  we  could  not  save ;  the  fire  originated  about  one  hundred  feet  from  the  south 
end  of  the  mill,  a  little  east  of  the  center. 

Afternoon  Session. 

TESTIMONY   OF    WILLIAM   BARBER. 

Was  present  at  the  ruins  until  within  half  an  hour  of  the  time  when  the  fire  broke 
out ;  I  carried  a  lantern  to  the  ruins  and  kept  it  with  me  all  the  time,  and  carried  it 
home  with  me  ;  know  no  cause  for  the  building  falling  ;  I  thought  the  building  was 
too  light. 

TESTIMONY   OF   B.  D.    GOWAN. 

Am  a  mason  ;  have  worked  as  a  mason  since  181C  ;  Mr.  Fletcher  had  the  contract 
to*build  the  foundation  of  the  Pemberton  Mill ;  I  did  it  by  the  yard  for  him  ;  I  never 
saw  any  contract ;  there  was  a  direction  to  build  the  foundation  down  to  a  proper 
depth ;  they  dug  it  out,  and  when  they  were  ready  for  us  we  laid  the  stone.  It  was 
from  three  to  five  feet  below  the  surface ;  the  bottom  was  a  soft,  sandy  loam ;  we  had 
been  accustomed  to  go  deeper  for  a  solid  foundation ;  in  water-power  works  they 
usually  lay  the  foundation  very  deep ;  the  Bay  State  foundations  were  very  deep  — 
twenty  feet ;  the  Atlantic  has  a  room  below  the  surface  ;  I  don't  know  that  I  noticed 
any  settling  while  laying  the  foundations ;  the  south  end  was  dug  out  deeper  than  the 
rest ;  it  was  softer  there  than  anywhere  else  ;  there  was  water  on  the  bottom  through 
the  whole  excavation ;  supposed  that  it  came  through  from  the  canal ;  there  was  no 
defect  in  the  material  of  the  foundation  ;  the  foundation  was  good  as  far  as  it  went ; 
I  thought  at  the  time  it  was  not  deep  enough,  especially  at  the  south  end ;  there  the 
soil  was  spongy,  and  of  a  quick  sand  nature  ;  spoke  to  Mr.  Tuttle  about  it  at  the  time ; 
was  in  the  yard  a  good  part  of  the  time  when  they  were  building  on  the  foundation ; 
never  noticed  any  particular  or  uncommon  settling  of  the  building ;  the  wall  was 
about  six  or  seven  feet  wide  at  the  bottom,  and  four  and  one-half  at  the  top  ;  thought 
it  was  wide  enough  ;  I  was  there  to  put  in  foundations  for  some  piers,  over  which  were 
columns,  to  make  the  building  stiffer;  the  building  was  not  completed  when  the  piers 
were  put  in  ;  the  pillars  were  trussed  above  after  these  foundations  were  laid;  the 
foundations  of  the  piers  were  about  the  thickness  of  the  stones  below  the  foundation 
of  the  walls;  the  wall  trenches  were  about  a  foot  below  the  surface  on  the  inside; 
can't  say  whether  I  was  ever  called  upon  to  put  any  thing  around  these  piers  to  sup- 
port them ;  they  were  of  brick ;  the  posts  in  the  mill  are  of  iron  ;  I  was  present  when 
the  building  was  erected ;  saw  the  ties  put  in,  and  I  thought  the  building  was  too 
light;  we  thought  the  walls  were  too  light  because  the  windows  were  so  large  there 
was  little  space  between  the  sills   of  the   upper  and  the  caps  of  the  lower  windows  ; 


62  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

some  of  the  timbers  wei'o  rather  short  going  across  the  walls,  and  pilasters  were 
built  out  to  support  them  ;  the  timbers  went  into  the  inner  wall,  but  did  not  extend  to 
the  outer. 

TESTIMONY  OF   WM.    SULLIVAN. 

Did  the  excavating  for  the  Pemberton  Mills ;  Capt.  Bigelow  gave  me  the  job ;  I  did 
it  by  the  yard ;  the  contract  specified  that  I  should  go  down  until  I  got  to  a  good 
foundation  ;  Mr.  Coolidge  was  the  engineer ;  he  told  me  when  I  had  got  deep  enough  ;  the 
excavation  was  about  ten  feet  deep  at  the  end  next  to  the  river  where  the  wheel  pit  is ; 
the  wheel  pit  was  in  the  southeast  corner,  and  from  there  we  stepped  up ;  we  came  up 
next  to  gravel,  and  then  to  sand ;  the  wheel  pit  was  on  hard  pan ;  the  water  was  two 
or  three  inches  deep  at  the  lower  end,  and  at  the  other  end  it  was  only  moist ;  I  excava- 
ted for  a  part  of  the  Atlantic  Mills ;  they  went  down  from  1 G  to  20  feet  below  the  sur- 
face of  the  yard ;  I  excavated  the  last  mill  of  the  Atlantic  Corporation  on  contract ; 
the  bottom  of  the  Pemberton  Mill  excavation  was  more  solid  than  that  of  the  Atlantic 
which  I  excavated ;  never  heard  of  its  settling. 

TESTIMONY   OF   JOHN   B.   TUTTLE. 

Reside  in  Lowell ;  am  a  brick-mason ;  have  been  in  that  business  thirty-four  or 
thirty-five  years ;  I  was  one  of  the  firm  that  put  up  the  brick  part  of  the  Pemberton 
Mill ;  the  firm  was  John  B.  Tuttle  &  Co.  (John  B.  Tuttle  &  Oilman  Tuttle) ;  I  took 
the  contract  from  Capt.  Bigelow.  [The  witness  then  presented  a  copy  of  the  con- 
tract.] There  was  water  in  the  bottom  when  we  commenced  to  work  ;  there  was  one 
hole  where  the  water  came  in  where  we  procured  our  water  to  drink  for  two  months; 
a  drouth  came  on,  and  the  water  was  dried  up  ;  I  supposed  at  first  that  the  water  came 
through  from  the  canal ;  have  built  many  mills  before ;  the  east  and  west  walls  were 
double,  each  8  inches,  with  a  space  of  4  inches  between ;  about  20  feet  of  one  end  of 
the  building  was  only  12  ;  we  built  up  pilasters  to  the  second  floor,  projecting  8  inches ; 
the  third  floor  the  pilasters  were  4  inches,  and  above  that  they  were  dispensed  with ; 
alter  it  was  found  that  the  timbers  were  too  short,  by  direction  of  Mr.  Bigelow  or  Mr. 
Coolidge,  we  took  down  part  of  the  walls  and  built  a  projection  inward  five  or  six 
inches  with  brick  and  cement ;  half  of  the  mill  was  up  when  we  made  this  change ; 
where  the  timbers  were  to  come  we  headed  over,  and  built  the  two  walls  together ;  I 
expressed  myself  at  many  times  then  that  the  walls  were  not  sufficient  for  the  build- 
ing, if  they  were  laid  ever  so  strong ;  I  told  Mr.  Bigelow  so  after  the  work  was  com- 
menced ;  think  any  mason  who  has  worked  at  the  business  twenty  years  would  say  so  ; 
frequently  spoke  of  it  to  several  people  ;  told  Mr.  Childs  when  I  was  working  at  the 
Boott  that  I  had  my  fears  about  it ;  think  the  walls  would  have  been  stronger  if  they 
had  been  built  together;  I  know  of  no  other  mill  with  walls  so  light;  never  want  to 
see  another  ;  some  mills  in  Manchester  are  built  with  double  walls,  but  none  so  light 
as  these ;  the  great  width  of  the  mill  required  stronger  walls  ;  our  old-fashioned  fac- 
tories are  from  forty-five  to  fifty  feet  wide  ;  these  walls  were  all  cut  up  with  windows ; 
we  used  just  such  mortar  as  we  were  ordered  to ;  Mr.  Coolidge  was  about  the  building 
nearly  all  the  time,  and  Capt.  Bigelow  was  there  occasionally ;  ordinarily  factory  walls 
arc  twenty-eight  inches  for  the  first  story,  twenty-four  for  the  next  two  stories,  and 
sixteen  for  the  rest ;  this  mill  was  sixteen  inches  on  the  lower  story,  with  four  inches 
face;  where  the  stairs  went  up  at  the  southeast  corner  the  wall  was  single  —  twelve 
inches  thick  ;  where  the  stones  were  placed  for  tin?  main  gearing,  the  wail  was  solid  — 
two  feet  thick ;  the  piers  were  built  sixteen  inches  square,  and  they  were  afterwards 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  63 

boxed  up  with  brick,  and  made  two  feet  square ;  I  should  rather  presume  that  if  the 
piers  had  given  out,  the  walls  would  have  fallen  in ;  none  of  the  timbers  went  through 
the  outer  walls  ;  usually  an  iron  goes  through  the  outer  wall  from  the  timber,  with  a 
nut  outside  ;  the  eraek  by  the  side  of  the  chimney,  near  the  center,  must  have  seriously 
weakened  the  walls;  the  corners  are  most  important  to  brick  walls;  don't  think  chim- 
neys should  be  built  with  the  building ;  never  built  a  steam  chimney  before ;  the 
swaying  of  the  chimney  might  have  caused  the  crack,  without  any  settling  of  the 
foundation ;  the  bricks  were  very  poor,  being  crooked  and  rough  ;  the  soft  brick  were 
thrown  out ;  nothing  was  said  about  throwing  out  rough  or  misshapen  brick. 

Second  Day.  —  Morning  Session. 
TESTIMONY   OF   STEPHEN   WALLIS. 

Reside  in  Lowell ;  am  a  mason ;  have  been  a  mason  for  twenty-six  years ;  helped 
build  the  mill  which  fell ;  I  laid  the  first  brick  on  it,  and  worked  on  it  until  it  was 
finished ;  never  examined  the  foundation  much,  but  know  that  water  was  running 
through  it  on  the  easterly  side,  about  135  feet  from  the  northerly  end;  it  run  out,  so 
we  used  it  for  drink  ;  it  used  to  wash  out  quicksand,  which  in  course  of  time  might  have 
caused  it  to  settle ;  have  been  to  the  ruins  since  the  fall ;  saw  no  indications  of  the 
settling  of  the  foundations ;  if  it  had  settled  sufficient  to  cause  the  fall  of  the  building, 
the  stone  would  now  appear  out  of  place  ;  the  walls  were  twenty-inch  walls,  with  space 
of  four  inches ;  I  kept  count  of  all  the  solid  places,  to  number  the  bricks  out  of  sight ; 
at  the  corners  we  built  two  feet  solid ;  at  the  door  jams  one  foot  solid ;  at  the  window 
jams  four  inches ;  we  generally  had  eight  ties  under  the  window  sills,  being  two  bricks  ; 
the  building  was  well  tied,  but  the  walls  were  thinner  than  any  I  ever  worked  on  on 
such  a  building.  On  four-story  mills  I  never  worked  on  any  walls  less  than  two  feet 
at  the  basement ;  think  the  pilasters  on  the  first  and  second  stories  strengthened  the 
bearing  of  the  floor  timbers  ;  the  timbers  above  were  as  long  as  those  below,  but  the 
pilasters  being  dropped  above,  we  built  in  the  wall  to  increase  the  bearing  of  the 
timbers ;  never  heard  of  an.  intention  to  make  the  building  but  two  stories  high ;  there 
was  a  small  crack  by  the  side  of  the  chimney,  supposed  to  be  caused  by  a  heavy  wind 
which  occurred  while  we  were  building  the  chimney ;  the  crack  followed  the  bricks 
through  their  joints  part  way,  and  then  followed  the  window  jams ;  there  was 
another  crack  on  the  arch,  which  stills  remains  standing;  the  bricks  were  poor  ones 
to  lay,  but  they  made  solid  work  when  laid ;  the  mortar  was  good ;  didn't  think  the 
walls  strong  enough  for  so  large  a  building,  and  I  frequently  expressed  that  opinion ; 
I  sometimes  talked  with  Mr.  Coolidge  about  the  work ;  think  I  expressed  my 
opinion  to  Mr.  Coolidge  about  the  walls;  in  the  absence  of  the  Messrs.  Tuttle 
I  was  foreman  of  the  work;  if  the  pilasters  had  been  continued  through  the 
whole  building,  I  should  not  have  considered  it  strong  enough ;  have  known  another 
mill  built  with  bonded  walls ;  the  new  Merrimac  Mill  of  Lowell  was  built  in  this  way, 
but  the  walls  were  twenty-eight  inches  thick,  and  covered  over  with  cement ;  think 
these  walls  would  have  been  safe  if  they  had  been  four  inches  thicker  on  the  first  three 
stories;  the  windows  were  too  large;  the  window  caps  of  the  fourth  story  were  the 
sills  for  the  windows  of  the  fifth  story ;  we  put  cement  in  the  mortar  whenever  ordered 
by  Mi-.  Coolidge. 

TESTIMONY   OF   MORRIS   KNOWLES. 

Reside  in  Lawrence  ;  have  been  a  carpenter  thirty  years ;  worked  on  the  building 
which  fell ;  did  the  work  on  an  agreement,  there  being  no  written  contract;  it  was  to 


64  TIIE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

put  on  so  many  floors,  &c,  (naming  the  whole ;)  received  a  specification  of  the  style  of 
the  building,  with  the  kind  of  timber  to  be  used.  The  timber  was  furnished  me,  ex- 
cept the  window  frames  and  sashes  ;  think  I  ordered  them  for  five  stories ;  think  the 
upper  windows  were  one  light  shorter  than  the  others ;  think  before  I  made  my  con- 
tract it  was  fully  decided  that  the  mill  should  be  five  stories  high  ;  when  I  first  com- 
menced work  the  foundations  were  laid,  and  we  laid  the  first  floor ;  my  partner  had 
the  principal  charge  of  this  job,  and  he  is  dead ;  on  the  lower  floor  the  timbers  laid  on 
the  wall  and  pilaster  nine  or  ten  inches  ;  the  timbers  grew  longer  as  they  went  up ;  on 
the  second  floor  they  were  four  inches  longer,  and  the  pilasters  four  inches  less.  On  the 
third  story  the  pilasters  were  discontinued.  The  timbers  there  were  cut,  supposing 
the  pilasters  would  be  continued,  but  they  were  not ;  it  left  some  four  or  five  inches  to 
lay  on  the  wall.  The  walls  were  then  built  in  (as  before  described)  to  meet  the 
timbers.  Don't  think  this  projection  strengthened  the  bearing  materially.  On  the 
story  above,  the  timbers  were  cut  longer.  It  was  a  wider  mill  than  ever  I  was  on 
before.  Should  think  the  greater  width  would  require  stronger  walls.  The  Pacific 
Mill  comes  nearest  to  this  in  width ;  that  is  seventy-two  feet ;  this  was  eighty-four ; 
don't  recollect  whether  I  ever  worked  on  any  walls  so  thin  as  this  ;  never  knew  of  a 
mill  where  pilasters  were  thrown  out  to  receive  the  timbers  ;  have  known  them  built 
up  to  strengthen  the  walls  from  the  bottom;  the  caps  of  the  iron  pillars  were  not 
large  enough  to  give  much  support;  my  partner,  Mr.  Dodge,  and  I  spoke  of  it;  each 
long  timber  was  composed  of  three  different  pieces,  joined  together  by  a  joint  bolt,  and 
under  each  joint  was  one  of  these  pillars ;  where  these  timbers  joined  there  were  six 
inches  for  each  end  to  rest  upon,  out  of  which  was  a  half  circle  with  a  diameter  of 
three  inches,  through  which  ran  a  pintle.  Thiols  the  piers  were  strengthened  at  my 
suggestion ;  never  saw  a  mill  so  cut  up  with  windows  as  this ;  never  had  formed  any 
opinion  in  regard  to  the  strength  of  the  walls,  but  think  now  the  walls  were  hardly 
sufficient,  considering  the  manner  in  which  the  walls  were  cut  up  ;  noticed  a  crack  on 
the  east  side  of  the  chimney ;  Mr.  Chase  spoke  to  me  of  it,  and  said  it  was  caused  by 
the  swaying  of  the  chimney  ;  there  was  also  a  crack  on  the  west  side  ;  these  two 
cracks  must  have  weakened  the  wall ;  I  raised  up  the  roof  of  the  cloth  room ;  I  made 
alterations  in  the  mill,  partitioning  off  different  rooms ;  none  of  these  alterations 
weakened  the  mill ;  never  noticed  any  settling  of  the  building,  nor  heard  of  any ; 
Captain  Bigclow  employed  me  to  put  in  some  trusses  between  the  posts  and  the  walls, 
and  between  the  inner  posts ;  think  they  made  the  building  safer ;  the  irons  went 
from  the  timbers  out  to  the  center  of  the  outer  wall,  and  turned  up  about  ten  inches  ; 
they  were  an  inch  and  a-half  wide,  and  three-fourths  of  an  inch  thick.  Sometimes 
we  use  this  kind  of  iron,  and  sometimes  another  iron  which  goes  through  the  outer  wall, 
where  it  is  secured  by  a  washer ;  I  did  some  sheathing  on  the  wall  on  the  south-west 
corner  where  the  chimney  was  ;  it  was  in  the  upper  room  ;  it  was  not  for  the  purpose 
of  hiding  the  crack  as  I  know  of ;  it  was  sheathed  along  where  they  put  in  a  vat ; 
noticed  the  cracks  at  the  time,  and  sheathed  right  over  them  ;  don't  recollect  of  any 
statement  made  of  a  reason  for  the  purpose  of  finishing  up  that  corner  ;  not  positive 
whether  I  sheathed  more  than  one  story ;  don't  recollect  whether  I  made  any  expres- 
sion at  that  time  in  regard  to  the  effect  of  the  crack  on  the  wall ;  it  was  cracked  way 
through  the  wall ;  think  they  went  down  through  the  upper  story  into  the  next,  and 
there  disappeared.  (The  witness  was  questioned  at  length  regarding  these  cracks, 
but  nothing  tangible  was  gleaned  from  him.)  The  windows  contained  forty  lights 
each  ;  might  have  made  some  remark  at  the  fire  about  my  sheathing  there  covering  up 
the  crack ;  didn't  suppose  it  was  done  for  that  purpose ;  the  first  story  pillars  are  six 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  65 

inches  in  diameter ;  above  they  are  somewhat  smaller ;  they  were  hollow,  and  they 
were  not  as  thick  as  are  generally  used  ;  they  are  usually  full  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  in  thickness ;  some  of  those  I  have  seen  broken  in  the  ruins  had  large  blow  holes 
concealed  inside  ;  if  properly  cast  their  thickness  could  have  been  relied  upon  ;  my 
attention  was  called  to  these  at  one  time  by  Mr.  Coolidge  when  one  broke,  about  a 
year  after  the  building  was  erected  ;  I  don't  know  that  I  have  formed  any  opinion  of 
the  causes  of  the  demolition  of  the  building  which  I  should  be  justified  to  give  without 
further  examination  ;  think  it  started  from  the  giving  way  of  the  pillars,  breaking  the 
flanges  of  the  pintles,  and  throwing  it  out ;  the  pillars  were  ten  feet  apart  one  way, 
and  twenty-seven  feet  the  other ;  it  is  my  opinion  now  that  the  accident  didn't  occur 
from  any  fault  of  the  walls. 

(Mr.  Wallis  and  Mr.  Knowles  were  then  requested  to  visit  the  ruins  and  make  such 
investigations  as  would  further  the  ends  of  the  inquest,  taking  such  time  as  would  be 
necessary.) 

TESTIMONY  OF   BENJAMIN   COOLIDGE. 

Was  assistant  engineer  of  the  Essex  Company  under  Capt.  Bigelow,  and  afterwards 
nnder  Mr.  Storrow  ;  the  ground  on  which  the  building  was  erected  was  a  pasture  in 
the  fall  of  1852:  we  laid  the  first  stone  the  31st  of  January,  1853;  the  soil  was  a 
dense,  heavy,  solid,  sandy  loam,  remarkably  solid  and  heavy ;  underlying  that  was 
what  geologists  call  the  boulder  formation ;  this  extends  three  or  four  feet ;  there  are 
generally  stones  from  500  pounds  to  the  size  of  a  man's  head,  and  so  down  to  gravel, 
and  this  fine  sand  spoken  of  as  quicksand  ;  it  is  not  quicksand  ;  this,  sifted  in,  made  what 
I  called  rock  pack  below,  perfectly  solid ;  underneath  that  lies  what  is  used  in  pud- 
dling here,  in  Lawrence ;  sometimes  it  is  so  solid,  that  it  breaks  out  in  large  lumps 
when  dry ;  when  wet,  as  en  the  Pemberton,  a  little  mud  leaks  out  of  it ;  under  that  is 
a  peculiar  quicksand  full  of  water,  very  fine  indeed  ;  it  sets  almost  instantly,  when  al- 
lowed to  rest  ;  it  is  useless  to  excavate  it,  we  only  touched  this  in  the  excavation  of 
the  wheel  bunding,  which  is  not  the  main  building ;  there  are  veins  of  coarse  sand  in 
the  fine  sand  and  in  the  puddling ;  they  seemed  to  be  deposits  ;  there  was  little  or  no 
water  came  through  this  fine  sand  until  we  came  near  the  rocks ;  next  to  the  canal 
the  rock  pan  was  full  of  water  running  as  clear  as  crystals,  sifting  out  this  fine  sand ; 
the  puddling  formation,  when  an  excavation  was  made  in  it  gave  out  a  little  water 
which  kept  working  until  quite  a  piece,  and  made  a  little  mud  in  the  bottom ;  the 
quicksand  was  full  of  water;  have  been  in  the  employ  of  the  company  since  1846,  for 
ten  years  under  Capt.  Bigelow,  since  then  under  C.  S.  Storrow ;  the  boulder  forma- 
tion is  8  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  canal,  and  it  runs  down  to  16  feet  below  at  the 
river;  the  excavation  for  the  Pemberton  was  made  from  8  to  16  feet;  on  the  end 
next  to  the  canal  the  foundation  was  on  the  rock  pack ;  on  the  east  side  the  foundation 
was  laid  on  three  foundations — boulder  formation,  the  firm  sand,  and  the  puddling 
formation ;  the  northerly  end  was  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  deep,  resting  on  the  pud- 
dling ;  the  south  end  was  made  deeper  till  we  came  near  where  the  chimney  was  to  be 
when  we  stepped  up  to  the  boulder  formation,  on  which  the  chimney  was  built ;  this 
was  the  most  solid  foundation,  but  we  had  to  go  lower  on  the  rest  of  the  south  end  for 
the  main  shafting ;  the  westerly  side  was  built  on  the  puddling  formation  as  far  as  the 
privy,  near  the  center,  when  the  excavation  stepped  up  ;  to  prevent  the  action  of  the 
water  on  the  sand,  a  cement  dam  was  made,  cutting  off  the  water  from  it ;  the  average 
thickness  of  the  foundation  was  from  six  to  nine  feet ;  there  never  was  a  foundation 
wall  laid  in  Lawrence  equal  to  that  one  for  solidity  and  strength ;  it  was  made  with 


66  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

stones  long  enough  to  go  way  across  the  full  width ;  think  the  foundations  will  be 
found  solid  now ;  in  the  north  part,  the  piers  rested  on  the  rock  pack ;  in  the  south 
part,  there  were  deej)  holes  dug  down  and  laid  on  solid  stones ;  the  piers  were  laid 
with  hard  brick,  and  carefully  tested  cement ;  there  were  better  rocks  under  this  than 
under  the  Duck  Mill ;  the  Duck  Mill  was  laid  almost  wholly  on  the  sand  foundation  ; 
the  rest  being  on  the  drift  or  puddling  formation ;  the  settling  of  any  part  of  the  foun- 
dation would  almost  certainly  be  indicated  by  the  breaking  of  a  window-sill  or  cap ; 
never  saw  one  broken  here,  but  have  an  indistinct  recollection  of  hearing  some  one  say 
there  was  one  broken  ;  recollect  the  trouble  with  the  pen-stock,  which  was  built 
under  the  superintendence  of  Capt.  Bigelow ;  after  that,  I  saw  that  nothing  was  dis- 
turbed there ;  the  trouble  with  the  pen-stock  was  a  small  affair ;  when  I  was  digging 
the  wheel  pit,  Mr.  Putnam  asked  if  it  was  dangerous ;  the  pit  was  25  feet  deep, 
and  being  near  the  mill  it  looked  frightful ;  I  filled  it  up  with  ballast  at  his  request, 
though  I  didn't  think  it  necessary ;  any  orders  from  the  proprietors  tended  entirely  to 
security ;  heavy  iron  straps  ran  from  the  southern  timbers  through  the  heavy  south 
wall,  and  were  fastened  outside  by  a  washer. 

Afternoon  Session. 
TESTIMONY   OF   BENJAMIN   COOLIDGE   CONTINUED. 

Never  saw  the  plan  of  the  building  until  it  was  placed  in  my  hands,  which  was  about 
the  1st  of  January,  1853,  before  the  foundation  was  commenced;  the  plan  was  for  five 
stories ;  don't  know  as  the  masons  had  any  working  plans ;  the  carpenter  generally 
went  to  the  office  and  drew  his  directions  from  the  general  plan ;  the  j)lan  did  not 
show  the  vault  in  the  wall ;  think  I  was  ordered  to  build  the  wall  with  a  vault ;  I  had 
directions  to  have  the  walls  bonded ;  think  the  walls  were  built  up  solid  above  the  tim- 
bers as  far  as  the  iron  went,  as  well  as  below  them ;  I  would  refer  to  the  testimony  of 
Messrs.  Tuttle  and  Wallis  in  regard  to  the  manner  of  building  the  walls,  except  the 
statement  that  the  irons  from  the  timbers  only  went  inside  of  the  inner  walls,  where  I 
differ  from  Mr.  Tuttle  and  agree  with  Mr.  Wallis ;  think  in  the  original  plan  the  pilas- 
ters were  carried  into  the  third  story ;  don't  know  why  they  were  afterwards  discon- 
tinued ;  Mr.  Tuttle's  description  of  the  formation  of  the  pilasters  is  correct;  where  the 
wall  was  projected  out,  I  am  unable  to  say  whether  the  bearing  would  be  as  strong  as 
if  the  timbers  were  long  enough  to  rest  upon  the  original  wall;  the  brick  work  was 
satisfactory;  it  was  done  in  the  very  best  manner;  the  bricks  were  rough,  but  they 
were  hard  ;  the  mortaring  was  flush  with  the  edge  of  the  bricks,  laid  with  particular 
care ;  never  knew  any  other  mill  with  two  8-inch  walls  and  a  vault ;  think  these  walls 
were  built  with  a  vault  to  allow  the  mortar  inside  to  be  carbonized  and  made  more 
solid ;  the  vault  also  made  the  mill  wanner,  and  was  considered  as  strong,  being  well 
bonded ;  thought  the  bonding  went  up  in  the  center  by  the  pilasters ;  the  stairways, 
the  cornices  and  the  sides  of  the  doorways  were  built  solid ;  the  cornices  were  laid 
in  cement ;  the  walls  were  a  foot  thick  for  twenty-three  feet  on  each  side  of  the  stair- 
way. 

Q.  Do  you  think  the  walls  were  strong  enough,  considering  the  length  and  width 
of  the  mill  and  the  weight  on  the  floors  ? 

A.  It  is  not  the  business  of  the  deputy  engineer  to  criticise,  but  simply  to  obey  the 
orders  of  the  chief.     I  formed  no  opinion  on  the  subject. 

Q.     What  do  you  think  now,  as  an  engineer  ? 

A.  As  an  engineer  I  am  unable  to  form  an  opinion  without  knowing  more  of  the 
weight  inside,  and  the  force  of  the  motion  of  the  mills.  As  an  individual,  I  think  the 
walls  were  strong  enough. 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  67 

Q.  Do  you  think  the  building  was  strong  enough,  considering  that  you  have  an- 
swered in  regard  to  the  mills  ? 

A.  I  felt  some  apprehensions  about  the  iron  pillars  placed  in  the  mill ;  they  were 
not  furnished  by  the  Essex  Company ;  one  of  the  pillars  was  dropped  from  a  small  dis- 
tance and  broken,  and  found  to  be  defective ;  I  reported  the  fact  to  Captain  Bigelow ; 
knew  of  a  flange  of  the  pintle  of  one  of  the  pillars  to  break  once,  as  testified  by  Mr. 
Tatterson ;  knew  of  a  crack  by  the  chimney,  and  one  in  the  arch ;  I  was  told  there 
was  a  crack  in  the  chimney,  by  Captain  Bigelow,  who  asked  me  how  it  happened, 
saying  my  foundation  must  have  settled ;  I  explained  to  him  that  it  could  not  have 
settled ;  he  was  satisfied  that  the  foundation  had  not  settled,  and  remarked  that  the 
crack  was  caused  by  the  swaying  of  the  chimney;  the  crack  destroyed  the  strength  of 
that  corner  of  the  building  as  far  as  it  extended ;  Capt.  Bigelow  said  he  might  run  an 
anchor  down  the  wall,  but  that  it  would  only  extend  the  mischief  further ;  never  knew 
of  any  settling  in  the  building,  though  I  frequently  examined  it  and  asked  of  the 
engineer;  I  had  an  idea  that  the  building  was  one  of  the  most  perfect  of  the  kind,  only 
I  felt  some  apprehensions  owing  to  my  knowledge  of  the  defects  of  the  pillar.  (A 
pillar  was  exhibited,  very  defective,  and  the  witness  explained  its  defect,  being  a  mere 
shell  on  one  side.  He  said  he  thought  they  were  not  sufficiently  tested  at  the  foundry.) 
Capt.  Bigelow  told  me  that  the  proprietors  were  to  furnish  the  pillars  ;  when  I  report- 
ed a  defective  one  to  him,  he  told  me  they  came  from  Boston,  or  from  some  place  near 
Boston ;  when  the  mill  fell,  I  laid  it  to  the  pillars  at  once ;  I  was  responsible  for  the 
pillars,  for  I  knew  they  were  defective ;  such  a  pillar  as  this  (the  one  shown)  would  be 
very  da  Qgerous  in  a  mill ;  the  water  works  of  the  Pemberton  were  at  the  river,  and  not 
at  the  canal ;  the  rock  pack  not  only  falls  away  from  the  canal  to  the  river,  but  it  also 
falls  away  down  the  canal ;  I  went  under  the  mill  within  an  hour  after  it  fell ;  the  east 
wall  seemed  to  stand  perfectly ;  any  settling  sufficient  to  throw  the  mill  down  could 
easily  be  told. 

Q.     What  is  your  opinion  of  the  cause  of  the  mill  falling  ? 

A.  I  thought  that  one  of  the  pillars  was  broken  away,  from  the  fact  that  the  center 
fell  in  first ;  I  think  a  pillar  must  have  been  broken  about  two-fifths  of  the  length  from 
the  south  end ;  if  a  pillar  had  been  broken,  there  would  have  been  a  space  54  by  20 
unsupported ;  no  common  walls  could  have  withstood  being  pulled  down ;  the  floors 
were  four-inch  spruce  plank  ;  the  floor  was  very  strong ;  I  think  that  the  weight  of  the 
floors  would  help  bring  down  the  walls;  the  floors  were  not  broken  at  all;  they  went 
down  whole,  breaking  the  pillars ;  the  noise  was  described  to  me  as  one  loud  crack, 
followed  by  a  succession  of  cracks,  until  the  whole  was  blended  in  a  frightful  roar ;  do 
not  think  the  fall  was  caused  by  any  crack  existing  at  the  southwest  corner  of  the  mill ; 
I  don't  remember  of  any  imperfect  pillars  after  the  one  spoken  of;  I  considered  that 
when  I  had  notified  Capt.  Bigelow  of  the  defective  pillar,  my  responsibility  was  over, 
because  we  found  no  more  imperfect;  if  I  had  known  that  the  giving  out  of  a  collar 
had  sunk  two  inches,  I  should  not  have  considered  that  very  dangerous. 

TESTIMONY   OF   J.    P.    PUTNAM. 

Reside  in  Boston  ;  I  was  treasurer  and  a  stockholder  in  the  Pemberton  Mill ;  I  sub- 
scribe! for  a  hundred  shares,  each  $1000,  at  its  construction,  being  one-eighth  of  the 
whole ;  the  first  contract  with  the  Essex  Co.  was  made  for  a  small  mill,  1 0th  April, 
1852  ;  ('lis  was  to  be  made  for  John  A.  Lowell,  who  was  then  in  Europe;  on  his  re- 
turn it  was  decided  to  make  a  large  mill,  and  to  let  in  other  stockholders ;  Mr.  Lowell 
owned  200  shares  ;  the  Essex  contracted  to  build  the  mill  at  cost  on  a  credit  of  five 
years;  they  were  to  furnish  the  materials;  I  used  to  consult  with  Capt.  Bigelow,  be- 


68  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

cause  I  wanted  to  be  sure  everything  was  made  strong  ;  he  was  going  to  put  in  wooden 
pillars,  such  as  they  were  then  putting  into  the  Pacific  ;  I  thought  iron  was  stronger ; 
I  told  him  I  thought  I  could  get  them  for  2\  cents  a  pound  from  a  place  in  Boston  ;  he 
told  me  to  inquire  about  it  and  he  would  inquire  at  the  Lawrence  Works ;  I  found 
a  place  to  get  them  cheaper  than  he  could  at  Lawrence  ;  I  got  them  made  by  Mr.  John 
C.  Woods,  whose  place  of  business  I  then  thought  was  in  South  Boston ;  the  draft  for 
the  pillars  was  sent  to  me  by  Capt.  Bigelow ;  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  pillars  were 
made  according  to  the  draft ;  for  the  lower  story  the  pillars  were  to  be  G  inches  in 
diameter,  and  five-eighths  of  an  inch  think ;  second  story,  5|-  inches  in  diameter,  and 
one-half  inch  thick  ;  third  story  5  inches  in  diameter,  and  one-half  inch  thick  ;  fourth 
story,  4|  inches  in  diameter,  and  one-half  inch  thick ;  fifth  story,  3  inches  in  diameter, 
solid;  felt  some  apprehension  at  one  time  about  water  running  through  the  foundation, 
but  that  was  remedied  by  driving  piles,  and  felt  no  more  apprehension  on  that  score  ; 
again,  when  they  were  digging  the  wheel  pit,  I  found  it  full  of  water  one  morning,  and 
ordered  it  filled  with  stones,  which  was  done,  and  that  apprehension  ceased ;  we  in- 
tended to  not  stop  at  the  limit  of  safety,  but  to  make  assurance  doubly  sure,  without 
sparing  expense.  There  was  some  question  about  the  wheel  pit  and  the  manner  in 
which  the  wheels  were  put  in  ;  I  thought  the  plan  we  adopted  was  a  very  good  one  ; 
with  these  exceptions,  never  heard  any  person  say  but  what  the  mill  was  the  strongest 
in  the  woi-ld ;  the  first  plan  of  the  large  factory  was  made  just  as  the  mill  was  before 
it  fell ;  about  one-third  of  the  machinery  was  intended  to  be  used  for  the  manufacture 
of  warps ;  finding  ourselves  unable  to  sell  these  so  well  as  we  expected,  wc  were 
obliged  to  remove  them,  and  looms  were  put  into  another  building ;  no  addition  or 
change  was  ever  made  in  the  machinery  of  the  mill,  and  five  stories  were  decided  upon 
as  the  height  before  the  foundations  were  laid.  In  the  mill  there  was  a  large,  expen- 
sive and  unequaled  apparatus  for  guarding  against  fire;  it  cost  some  $18,000  or  $20- 
000,  probably  twice  as  much  as  placed  in'  any  other  of  our  mills  ;  outside  there  were 
arrangements  of  platforms  to  use  in  case  of  fire  —  unusual  precaution  ;  after  the  ma- 
chinery was  put  in,  there  were  trusses  put  in  ;  think  the  suggestion  came  from  one  of 
the  directors  ;  we  supposed  the  floors  were  strong  enough,  but  wanted  to  make  them 
stiffer,  and  the  mill  was  accordingly  made  very  stiff ;  never  knew  of  any  settling  of  the 
foundations;  knew  of  the  crack  by  the  chimney,  and  at  first  felt  somewhat  anxious 
about  it,  but  afterwards  believed  there  was  no  danger ;  the  clamps  (iron  bands)  ap- 
peared to  tie  the  side  and  end  walls  so  firmly  together  that  we  had  no  apprehension  ; 
no  one  ever  spoke  to  me  about  the  walls  being  cheaper  than  other  mills  of  the  kind  ; 
cheapness  did  not  enter  our  minds ;  the  piers  were  doubled  under  the  lower  flower  to 
make  the  floor  stiff,  there  being  no  apprehension  that  it  was  weak  ;  think  the  mill  Avas 
closely  packed  with  machinery  ;  the  mill  was  afterwards  sold  to  Mr.  George  Howe  and 
Mr.  David  Nevins,  who  were  the  owners  at  the  time  of  the  accident ;  don't  know 
whether  there  have  been  any  changes  in  the  machinery  since  they  owned  it ;  think  the 
looms  have  been  diminished ;  never  had  any  reason  to  look  forward  to  such  a  calam- 
ity ;  the  Essex  Company  paid  me  for  the  pillars  what  I  paid;  I  felt  no  responsibility 
in  regard  to  the  pillars  except  as  far  as  acting  as  an  agent  for  the  Essex  Company ; 
this  man  furnished  them  for  a  small  trifle  less  than  the  Essex  Company  could  procure 
them  for  elsewhere ;  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  these  pillars  were  not  according  to 
the  plan  furnished ;  don't  recollect  of  Mr.  Tuttle  telling  me  that  the  walls  were  too 
light ;  he  might  have  done  it ;  if  he  did,  I  probably  spoke  of  it  to  Capt.  Bigelow  ;  my 
confidence  was  not  shaken  in  the  strength  of  the  walls ;  I  didn't  know  that  the  pil- 
asters were  discontinued  above  the  second  story ;  didn't  know  that  the  walls  were  only 
a  foot  thick  by  the  stairways* 


THE    LAWTtENCE    CALAMITY.  69 

Third  Day.  — Morning  Session. 
TESTIMONY   OF   CHARLES    S.    STORROW. 

Was  agent  of  the  Essex  Company;  in  1852  the  Essex  Company  sold  to  the 
Pemberton  Company  a  water  power  and  mill  site,  at  a  nominal  rate  ;  besides  this  the 
Essex  Company  was  to  erect  a  mill  for  them  on  a  credit  of  five  years.  The  mill  was 
to  be  erected  in  accordance  with  plans  furnished  by  the  Directors  of  the  Pemberton 
Company,  represented  by  Mr.  John  A.  Lowell ;  the  plans  were  drawn  up  by  Captain 
Bigelow,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Putnam,  whose  orders  were  obeyed,  and  whose 
suggestions  we  were  glad  to  have  ;  it  was  for  the  interest  as  it  was  the  desire  of  this 
Company  to  make  the  mill  as  strong  as  possible,  and  it  was  erected  without  regard  to 
cost ;  whatever  bills  were  approved  by  Captain  Bigelow  or  Mr.  Putnam,  were  paid 
without  question  by  the  Essex  Company ;  I  never  after  the  building  of  the  mill  and 
until  its  fall  heard  any  one  say  that  the  mill  was  not  perfectly  safe,  nor  did  I  have 
any  apprehensions  of  it ;  I  am  a  civil  engineer  by  education  ;  I  didn't  notice  the  details 
of  the  work,  but  I  had  perfect  confidence  in  Captain  Bigelow ;  the  walls  were  built 
with  a  vault  for  the  reason  of  using  the  given  number  of  bricks  to  better  advantage, 
as  for  the  thorough  drying  of  the  walls ;  it  gives  more  stability  and  prevents  moisture 
from  coming  through. 

The  bills  for  the  pillars  was  presented,  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy :  — 

Mr.  J.  P.  Putnam 

1853.  To  John  C.  Wood  Dr. 

March  28  — To  52  Base  Plates,  2362,  2lc. $59  06 

May        1  —  To  260  columns  as  per  contract,  $8  50     -  2210  00 

To  extra  weight,  52  columns,  171  each,  8892,  21c.    -        -       222  30 

$2491   36 
Cr.  by  —  Paid  by  Essex  Company    ------     19G2  81 


$528  55 


Correct  —  part  having  been  already 
paid  by  $600,  and  the  pay  to 
(Signed)     J.  P.  Putnam,  L.  Bouvie,  &c. 

May  7,  1853  —  Received  the  above  balance  of  five  hundred  twenty-eight  dollars, 
fifty-three  cents,  being  pay  in  full  of  columns.         (Signed)        John  C.  Woods, 

By  Albert  Fuller. 

Thus  far  I  have  seen  no  reason  to  believe  that  those  walls  or  foundations  have  failed ; 
if  the  floors  fell  in,  the  walls  would  have  been  thrown  down  if  they  had  been  twice  as 
thick  5  as  far  as  I  ean  now  judge,  I  think  the  cause  of  the  accident  came  from  the 
interior  of  the  building,  and  not  from  the  walls  or  foundations.  If  there  had  been  any 
settlement  of  the  foundations,  there  must  have  been  cracks  at  the  windows  and  in  the 
window  sills ;  if  fifty-two  piers  had  settled  at  the  same  moment,  we  could  not  tell 
what  would  happen ;  I  know  of  no  part  of  the  null  built  as  it  was  because  it  could  be  ' 
re-built  cheaper  ;  am  acquainted  with  Mr.  Knowles ;  no  man  stands  higher  as  a  skill- 
ful, careful  workman  ;  no  man  is  more  competent  to  take  such  a  contract ;  Mr.  Dodge, 
his  partner,  was  considered  as  good  a  builder  as  then  was  in  Lowell ;  the  firm  was 
sent  to  me  as  the  best  builders  in  Lowell ;  I  would  further  add  that  Mr.  Coolidge  was 
constantly  inspecting  the  buildings ;  as  deputy  engineer,  it  was  his  business  to  lay  the 


70  THE    LAWEENCE    CALAMITY. 

lines  and  levels,  and  then  to  see  that  the  materials  were  put  together  well ;  don't  know 
about  the  extra  weight  of  the  floors ;  do  not  consider  the  pillar  (shown  yesterday) 
suitable  for  such  a  building.  In  my  opinion  the  support  of  the  beams,  where  they 
were  spliced,  was  sufficient  for  a  vertical  pressure ;  the  water  ways  were  all  exterior 
f'orn  the  building ;  they  did  not  run  under  the  mill ;  if  there  had  been  any  undermin- 
ing of  the  mill  the  shafting  would  have  been  thrown  out  of  level,  and  its  running 
damaged.  I  understand  the  mill  was  running  perfectly  at  the  time ;  that  gives  me 
great  confidence  that  there  was  no  settling  of  the  foundation ;  the  cost  of  the  mill  was 
generally  considered  high ;  in  the  building  of  the  mill  precautions  were  taken  not 
considered  necessary  by  the  engineers. 
Adjourned  at  noon,  over  the  Sabbath. 

Fourth  Day. —  Morning  Session. 
TESTIMONY   OF   NEWELL   D.    DEAN. 

I  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Pemberton  Corporation  as  second  hand  in  the  carding 
room,  on  the  second  story ;  I  was  in  the  north  end  of  the  second  story,  in  the  center, 
widthwise,  when  the  mill  fell ;  was  within  two  feet  of  the  northern  wall,  facing  it,  look- 
ing at  some  roving  there ;  heard  a  noise,  and  thought  the  shall  was  broken ;  looked 
towards  the  south  and  saw  the  floors  near  the  other  end  coming  down ;  it  seemed  to  be 
the  whole  width,  and,  when  I  saw  it,  it  had  apparently  come  a  quarter  way  from  the 
south  to  the  north;  didn't  feel  the  floor  under  me  give  way;  noticed  nothing  about  the 
floor  under  me;  have  no  doubt  the  floor  above  me  broke  through  first;  the  north  end 
of  the  building  had  all  fallen  in  when  I  got  out;  should  think  it  was  not  over  half  a 
minute  from  the  time  the  first  noise  was  heard  until  the  mill  was  all  down ;  it  was 
about  quarter  of  five  o'clock  ;  I  had  just  looked  at  the  clock ;  heard  no  cracking  or  snap- 
ping before  I  saw  the  floor  falling ;  the  crash  was  like  that  of  a  heavy  tree  falling  in  the 
midst  of  a  thick  forest;  there  had  been  no  moving  of  machinery  in  my  room  that  day, 
nor  ever  since  I  have  been  there  —  a  year  and  a  half;  the  machinery  in  the  Pemberton 
Mill  was  heavier  than  in  some  other  mills ;  the  fly  frames  were  heavy ;  when  the  floor 
was  falling  through  it  seemed  to  be  the  lowest  in  the  center. 


BENJAMIN  COOLIDGE  RECALLED. 

Have  made  examinations  since  I  testified  before ;  I  am  satisfied  that  the  foundations 
remain  uninjured ;  the  brick  piers  seemed  to  be  unhurt,  except  by  fire  ;  saw  nothing 
that  would  give  any  new  clue  to  the  cause  of  the  disaster. 

THOMAS   P.   WINN   RECALLED. 

No  recollection  of  seeing  anything  falling  above  me  ;  should  have  known  if  the 
shafting  had  been  materially  disturbed  half  a  minute  before  the  fall ;  should  not  think 
the  mill  was  as  firm  as  others  in  which  I  have  worked ;  thought  the  timbers  were  light 
in  the  building,  considering  the  space  of  the  building  and  the  weight  of  the  machinery ; 
since  the  fire  I  have  seen  several  pillars  very  defective ;  (he  showed  a  pintle  found  in 
the  ruins  which  appeared  as  if  the  flange  had  been  broken  off,  allowing  the  column 
above  to  press  down ;  the  pintles  are  iron  bars,  about  twenty  inches  in  length,  which 
run  from  a  cap  on  the  top  of  a  lower  pillar  to  a  cap  under  the  lower  end  of  a  pillar ; 
above  the  pintle  also  goes  through  the  joint  of  the  floor  timbers,  where  they  connect.) 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  71 

Afternoon  Session. 
TESTIMONY  OF   ALONZO   N.   WING. 

Was  employed  at  the  Pemberton  Mills,  and  had  charge  of  the  winding ;  I  was  in 
the  fifth  story,  about  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  from  the  northern  end,  walking 
towards  the  south  ;  I  looked  through  a  glass  partition,  and  saw  the  western  wall  fall- 
ing in ;  I  ran  towards  the  north  end ;  felt  the  floor  settling  under  me,  while  I  was 
running  up  an  inclined  plane ;  ran  some  eighty  feet,  when  it  all  came  down  together ; 
the  floor  seemed  to  settle  first  in  the  middle,  lengthwise ;  I  was  running  in  the  middle 
of  the  room ;  when  I  came  down,  the  roof  parted  over  my  head,  and  one  part  slid  off 
towards  the  canal ;  the  north  wall  seemed  to  be  shut  out ;  the  roof  was  nearly  flat ; 
should  think  the  westerly  portion  of  the  floor  fell  a  little  first ;  heard  no  warning 
before  the  crash  of  the  fall ;  had  no  knowledge  that  the  speed  of  the  machinery  had 
been  increased  within  two  weeks;  the  floors  were  sagged  in  some  places,  but  to  no 
unusual  extent,  as  they  always  are  more  or  less  in  such  mills ;  the  weight  of  machinery 
was  not  heavier  than  in  others;  the  carding  machines  were  heavier  than  usual;  they 
were  on  the  second  floor ;  they  were  made  with  iron  frames ;  have  worked  in  the 
Jackson  (Nashua),  and  the  Boott  (Lowell)  mills;  the  weight  was  not  much  less  com- 
pact in  those  than  here ;  never  have  been  obliged  to  level  up  machinery  here  so  much 
as  in  other  mills  ;  never  knew  of  any  settling. 

TESTIMONY  OF   TOBIAS   W.   ROBERTS. 

Have  been  employed  in  the  Pemberton  Mills  about  four  years ;  was  second  hand  in 
the  carding-room,  in  the  second  story ;  was  standing  about  two-thirds  of  the  way 
down  from  the  northerly  end;  I  was  lighting  up;  first  saw  the  floor  coming  down  from 
above ;  I  was  facing  the  west ;  a  quarter  part  of  the  room  as  it  appeared,  coming 
down ;  turned  round,  but  did  not  get  many  steps  before  I  was  struck  by  the 
roof  from  above,  and  knocked  down ;  all  seemed  to  come  down  in  a  mass ;  heard 
the  bricks  come  around  me,  after  I  fell,  in  a  few  seconds ;  the  usual  work 
was  going  on  in  the  room ;  had  been  no  moving  of  machinery  in  that  story ;  do  n't 
think  there  was  any  thing  settled  below  before  the  roof  came  down  from  above ;  the 
floor  seemed  to  come  down  nearly  level,  somewhat  broken ;  found  the  lower  floor 
somewhat  broken,  and  crawled  through  a  small  hole  into  the  weaving-room  (first  floor), 
and  finally  came  out  into  the  Duck  Mill  yard ;  was  not  bruised  so  as  to  leave  any 
mark  of  importance ;  noticed  no  indications  of  fire  when  I  was  in  the  ruins. 

TESTIMONY   OF   JAMES   N.    READ. 

Have  been  employed  in  the  Pemberton  Mills  since  July  11,  1853;  had  been  in  the 
building  at  the  time  of  the  accident,  and  passed  into  my  own  department  into  the 
river  building,  and  shut  the  door ;  the  sound  was  something  unlike  any  thing  I  ever 
heard  before,  but  like  what  I  have  heard  described  as  the  sound  of  an  earthquake,  — 
a  heavy,  roaring  noise  ;  I  thought  at  first  the  boiler  had  burst ;  turned  to  open  the 
door  through  which  I  had  come,  but,  on  second  thought,  concluded  that  it  was  unsafe, 
and  went  into  the  river  building  ;  found  my  men  jumping  out  of  the  back  windows  ; 
one  broke  or  dislocated  his  feet  jumping  out  on  the  rocks  ;  I  shut  down  the  windows 
to  stop  the  panic,  and  we  afterwards  got  out  of  an  end  window ;  I  believe  I  was  the 
first  on  the  ruins  from  the  outside  ;  some  of  my  men  followed  me,  and  some  did  not ; 
the  sound  was  one  (  ontinuous  roar,  commencing  louder  than  it  continued ;  heard  the 
escape  of  steam,  but  believe  that  the  parting  of  the  main  pipe  of  steam  for  the  heat- 


72  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY 

ing  of  the  building,  might  have  caused  it ;  the  noise  of  the  crash  seemed  so  near  me 
that  I  thought  the  building  I  was  in  was  coming  down ;  saw  no  lights  among  the  ruins? 
except  those  carried  by  persons ;  never  noticed  any  thing  about  the  mill  to  make  me 
feel  insecure. 

Evening  Session  — Hesumed  at  Seven  o'clock. 

TESTIMONY   OF   MR.   JOHN   CRAWFORD. 

Have  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Pemberton  Company  for  five  years,  until  nine 
months  ago,  when  I  was  discharged  by  Mr.  Glover ;  I  was  in  the  Washington  Mills 
when  the  calamity  took  place ;  I  know  how  the  fire  took  ;  it  was  between  nine  and 
ten  o'clock  ;  I  was  there  helping  to  assist ;  my  daughter  was  in  the  ruins,  and  I  was 
looking  for  her ;  I  got  part  way  into  the  weaving  room  and  was  stopped  by  the  ruins ; 
at  the  time  of  the  fire  I  was  on  the  ruins,  when  a  young  man  came  up  and  asked  me 
to  hold  a  lantern  ;  I  held  it  for  about  ten  minutes,  when  somebody  asked  for  it,  took 
it,  and  went  down;  he  came  back  and  said  there  was  a  deep  hole  there  which  went 
down  to  the  card  room ;  he  went  down  again,  and  I  said  "  For  God's  sake,  be  careful 
of  the  lantern  ; "  he  went  down  further,  and  I  said,  "  For  God's  sake,  don't  go  there 
with  that  light ; "  he  went,  however,  and  in  going  down,  struck  the  lantern  on  some 
timber  on  the  right  hand  side ;  when  he  struck  the  lantern  it  broke  and  immediately 
fell;  I  shouted  "fire,"  and  stooped  down  to  pull  him  out;  he  was  on  fire  himself,  and 
the  fire  was  spreading  like  gun-powder ;  I  ran  for  our  machine,  and  we  got  it  out  and 
went  to  work ;  the  fire  took  near  the  center  of  the  building,  near  the  Duck  Factory ; 
I  don't  know  how  much  the  shafting  was  leveled  up,  but  know  that  it  was  some,  for  I 
assisted  in  the  job  ;  they  altered  the  hangers  until  they  got  the  shafting  to  run ;  after 
this  I  was  called  to  the  card  room  and  helped  level  up  the  fly  frames ;  they  were  lev- 
eled up  in  various  ways,  and  some  of  them  were  found  half  an  inch  out  of  level ; 
they  must,  however,  have  settled  more  than  an  inch  to  do  all  this ;  had  the  floors  all 
settled  alike,  the  machines  would  not  have  been  so  uneven ;  the  floor  had  settled  more 
in  some  places  than  in  others ;  after  this  the  shafting  was  leveled  up  two  or  three 
times,  but  how  much  I  don't  know ;  the  main  line  of  the  shafting  runs  about  one  third 
of  the  way  from  one  side  of  the  building  and  very  near  the  first  line  of  pillars,  but 
the  lines  are  not  in  the  same  relative  positions  in  all  the  rooms. 

TESTIMONY   OF    MR.    BENJAMIN   HARDING. 

Reside  in  Lawrence ;  am  a  carpenter,  and  have  been  one  for  twenty-five  years ; 
have  been  employed  in  the  Pemberton  Mills,  under  Mr.  Morris  Knowles  ;  commenced 
in  the  spring  of  1853  ;  my  business  was,  in  the  first  place,  preparing  beams  to  put 
into  the  mill ;  there  were  two  pieces  in  each  section,  bolted  together  with  three  bolts ; 
the  pieces  of  timber  were  7  by  1G  before  they  were  planed;  they  had  a  %  piece  be- 
tween, making  the  beam  1G  inches  square,  for  the  first  three  or  four  floors;  the  next 
were  an  inch  smaller,  I  think,  each  way ;  worked  on  the  Pemberton  until  it  was  about 
complete;  the  time  that  I  worked  directly  on  the  building  was  from  1853  to  January, 
1855  ;  in  the  third  floor  the  first  half  of  the  beams  next  to  the  canal  were  full  length, 
the  other  half  were  a  little  short  —  four  inches  on  each  end;  the  center  pieces  alike 
throughout  the  whole ;  twenty-seven  beams  in  a  story,  and  I  think  about  half  were 
short ;  should  think  the  short  ones  all  rested  from  two  to  three  inches  in  the  main 
wall;  some  of  them  might  have  rested  four  inches;  there  were  pilasters,  if  I 
recollect  rightly,  coming  as  far  as  the  third  floor,  and  then  were  discontinued ;  the 
timbers  were  not  cut  short ;  they  were  not  ordered  long  enough ;  I  cut  them  myself; 
think  the  projections  were  built  from  the  pilasters. 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  73 

I  know  that  where  these  short  timbers  were  put  there  were  projections  thrown  out 
from  the  wall ;  wherever  the  projections  were,  the  short  timbers  were  placed  ;  think 
the  northerly  half  did  not  have  these  projections,  because  the  timbers  were  long 
enough ;  on  the  next  floor  the  beams  were  full  length  and  rested  eight  inches  on  the 
wall ;  the  mason  work  was  carried  up  one  half  at  a  time,  and  then  the  timbers  were 
laid ;  cutting  the  timber  by  order  of  Mr.  Knowles,  I  asked  him  what  I  should  do 
about  it;  he  said,  "  Cut  them  as  long  as  you  can  and  I  will  tell  Capt.  Bigelow;"  the 
result  was  the  projections  were  built ;  the  joints  were  well  made  with  seven-eighths 
inch  bolts ;  never  knew  a  mill  to  be  supported  like  this  in  the  shoring ;  should  think 
the  best  method  was  not  used  in  the  shoring  of  this  mill ;  the  building  in  all  its  parts, 
for  its  size,  was  rather  slender;  not  only  the  columns  were  deficient,  but  there  was  too 
much  space  given  to  windows,  making  the  walls  weak  ;  the  machinery  was  very  heavy 
for  the  surface  —  a  monstrous  weight  to  be  held  up  by  the  columns  below  :  never  knew 
of  any  other  mill  with  so  long  sections ;  the  man  who  superintended  the  building  said 
they  should  never  be  over  22  or  24  feet;  they  were  27;  the  timber  used  in  the  con- 
struction was  good;  the  beams  were  pine,  and  I  never  was  called  to  remedy  any  de- 
ficiency ;  it  has  ever  been  my  opinion  that  the  floors  were  loaded  very  heavy ;  there 
might  not  have  been  much  greater  weight  to  the  square  foot  than  in  smaller  mills,  but 
we  cannot  put  double  the  weight  on  double  the  length ;  should  think  that  by  changing 
the  bearing,  by  moving  the  machinery,  there  would  be  danger  of  straining  more  ;  think 
it  would  have  been  better  to  have  had  the  pintles  and  the  pillars  turned  and  fitted 
together ;  had  no  reason  of  apprehension  because  of  the  short  timbers  ;  I  think  if  one 
of  these  pillars  had  broken  off,  so  as  to  have  rubbed  down,  it  would  have  brought  all 
above  it  down  to  the  lower  floor,  taking  at  least  two  beams ;  after  the  first  pillar  had 
broken  the  others  woidd  break  easier ;  have  examined  the  ruins ;  have  seen  no  evi- 
dence of  the  settling  of  the  foundation ;  think  there  was  a  giving  away  of  a  column 
where  that  machinery  was  moved  ;  I  make  up  this  opinion  from  remarks  which  I  had 
heard  made  when  the  mill  was  examined,  and  from  talk  I  had  with  persons  in  the 
mill ;  if  a  pintle  had  broken  when  the  column  gave  way  the  effect  would  have  been 
fatal ;  this  mill  had  but  very  little  vibration  ;  less  than  most  other  mills ;  but  this  is 
not  a  proof  of  safety,  or  test  of  strength ;  the  mill  had  a  flat  roof  and  was  very  wide, 
so  there  was  no  chance  to  vibrate. 

Fifth  Day. —  Morning   Session. 
TESTIMONY    OF    CHARLES   II.  BIGELOW. 

Reside  in  New  Bedford ;  I  am  a  civil  engineer  by  profession  at  present ;  I  have  been 
civil  engineer  since  1846  ;  before  that  time  I  was  in  the  corps  of  Engineers  of  the 
United  States  army ;  I  had  the  rank  of  Captain  in  that  corps ;  I  had  charge  of  Fort 
Independence  in  Boston  Harbor  in  constructing  it;  had  been  so  for  five  years;  was 
educated  at  West  Point;  graduated  1835  ;  from  1835  to  1846  I  was  in  the  corps  of 
Engineers;  the  corps  is  not  composed  of  the  whole  class,  but  according  as  vacancies 
occur  the  first  scholars  enter  it;  two  out  of  my  class  entered  it ;  prior  to  having  charge 
of  Fort  Independence,  I  was  under  Capt  Thayer  on  Fort  Warren,  Boston,  assisting  in 
the  construction  of  that ;  left  the  corps  for  private  reasons,  which  led  me  to  enter  the 
civil  business,  and  gentlemen  in  Boston  wanted  me  to  enter  the  manufacturing  business ; 
had  an  offer  and  appointment  as  manager  of  the  York  Mills,  Saco,  Me. ;  at  that  time 
Lawrence  was  about  starting ;  the  Directors  of  the  Essex  Company  desired  me  to 
enter  their  employ ;  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  leave  the  service  any  way  ;  1  accepted 
Mr.  Storrow's  invitation,  and  came  here  as  their  engineer  in  March,  1846;  then  com- 


74  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

1  working  as  civil  engineer;  during  that  time  had  charge  of  the  construction  of 
the  Atlantic  Mills,  Machine  Shop,  Duck  Mill,  Pacific,  and  Pemberton,  besides  super- 
intending the  construction  of  the  darn  and  the  canal,  the  plan  of  the  dam  having  been 
made  prior  to  my  coming  here  ;  while  stationed  at  Fort  Independence  and  Fort  Warren 
was  not  employed  in  business  like  building  mills,  but  had  there  all  the  elements  of  land 
works,  sea  walls,  foundation?,  &c. ;  the  nature  of  the  arrangement  between  the 
Essex  Company  and  the  Pemberton  Mill  was  such  as  to  leave  the  parties  free ;  the 
Pemberton  party  having  right  to  make  contract  or  employ  force  as  it  might  suit 
them,  and  we  were  glad  to  have  them  do  it;  and  they  did  so  in  repeated  instances, 
such  as  making  contract  for  the  glass,  all  the  shafting  and  gearing,  for  the  iron  columns, 
and  to  add  force  to  the  carpentering  and  other  departments  of  the  work  ;  the  provision 
was  made  because  they  wished  to  forward  the  structure,  and  to  make  it  convenient  for 
the  managers,  and  satisfactory  ;  it  was  the  interest  of  the  Essex  Company  to  forward 
the  mill  most  satisfactorily  to  the  owners;  Mr.  Putnam  was  the  managing  director  and 
financial  agent  of  the  owners  ;  I  was  the  engineer  and  responsible  officer  of  the  Essex 
Company;  my  relations  with  Mr.  Putnam  through  the  whole  construction  were  those  of 
mutual  friendliness  and  respect,  and  I  never  saw  in  Mr.  P.  the  slightest  tendency  to 
sacrifice  safety  or  strength  of  the  mill  for  the  sake  of  saving  expense.  On  the  contrary 
he  always  went  for  the  safest  and  strongest  structure  that  we  knew  how  to  build,  with 
due  regard  to  economy ;  I  placed  Mr.  Benjamin  Coolidge  in  immediate  charge  of  the 
work  at  the  Pemberton  Mills  ;  he  was  to  reside  there,  and  he  did;  he  spent  his  days 
there,  and  his  nights,  if  necessary  ;  Mr.  Coolidge  superintended  the  work  with  a  vigor 
and  fidelity  that  was  untiring;  his  intelligence  as  an  engineer  and  as  a  man,  is  well 
known  in  this  community,  as  well  as  his  honor  as  a  gentleman  and  a  Christian  ;  he  was 
to  be  my  eyes  and  my  hands,  constantly  present  as  far  as  we  could  make  him  so.  Mr. 
Coolidge  has  stated  the  nature  of  the  soil,  and  having  kept  notes  he  knows  it  as  well  as 
any  other  man  in  the  world;  I  myself  examined  them  critically  and  carefully  at  the 
time,  and  I  am  satisfied  there  is  no  better  foundation  for  a  building  in  the  city  of  Law- 
rence, so  far  as  the  soil  is  concerned ;  it  was  a  water-bearing  soil  naturally.  Tho  stones 
of  our  quarries  are  suitable  for  foundations,  large,  handsome  stones,  straitfied  granite 
or  gneiss;  they  were  amply  wide  at  the  bottom  —  nine  feet,  I  think;  (referring  to  the 
plan)  the  walls  on  the  east  and  west  side  were  nine  feet,  the  south  wall  eight,  the  north 
wall  six.  Mr.  Fletcher  was  the  contractor  for  the  foundation  ;  the  stones  of  the  walls 
were  so  large  that  they  extended  beyond  the  width  given,  and  were  always  in  excess; 
it  was  intended  to  make  the  given  width  solid,  and  the  ends  projected  over;  I  come 
now  to  brick  walls  built  on  these  foundations;  there  was  an  underpinning,  and  it 
was  backed  with  either  brick  or  mortar  walls  ;  the  walls  have  been  stated  as  composed 
of  two  walls  with  a  hollow  space ;  it  is  an  error  ;  it  was  one  wall  with  air  ilues  in  it,  the 
air  flues  less  than  two  feet  by  four  inches  in  a  horizontal  area  ;  there  were  four,  longi- 
tudinally, in  every  ten  feet ;  the  wall  was  composed  of  eight  inches  of  solid  wall, 
flue  four  inches,  and  the  remainder  of  wall  ranging  in  thickness,  making  up  the  rest; 
where  the  flues  were  not,  the  wall  was  solid ;  the  flues  averaged  one  foot  ten  inches  by 
four  inches;  the  bonds  were  continuous  from  bottom  to  top  where  the  walls  were  contin- 
uous. The  thickness  of  the  walls  was  amply  sufficient  to  bear  any  weight  by  vertical 
pressure  which  could  be  brought  upon  them  in  this  mill ;  there  were  estimates  made 
of  what  weight  each  floor  would  be  called  upon  to  bear ;  we  never  built  a  mill  with- 
out estimating  the  weight  to  be  thrown  upon  the  structure  in  all  its  parts ;  the  floors 
were  constructed  with  beams,  each  beam  made  of  two  parts,  varying  from  10  inches  a 
little   in  depth,  and  making  them,  when  built  together  1G   inches  square,  or  there- 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  75 

about,  the  timber  was  very  good,  and  no  objection  ever  appeared  to  it;  they  were  put 
together  in  the  very  best  manner  by  Messrs.  Dodge  &  Knowles.  The  span  these 
beams  were  to  go  over  being  such  that  they  might  sag  or  spring  under  the  weight  of 
machinery,  a  system  of  undergirding  them  with  iron  rods  was  adopted  to  render  them 
perfectly  rigid,  which  they  always  were ;  it  was  not  because  they  were  weak,  but  to 
render  them  stiff;  the  same  system  is  adopted  in  every  railroad  car,  so  that  they  shall 
not  bend  down  in  the  middle  ;  this  was  the  iron  said  to  have  been  bi  ought  in  to 
strengthen  the  walls ;  no  other  iron  was  ever  brought  in  for  the  purpose ;  the  rigidity 
of  these  beams  has  always  been  maintained,  so  that  the  shafting  always  run  as  near 
perfect  under  them  as  in  any  mill ;  the  beams  were  anchored  in  the  walls  at  the  side ; 
the  irons  were  turned  up  at  the  ends,  and  went  within  four  inches  of  the  exterior  of  the 
wall,  and  then  went  up  about  a  foot;  there  was  a  body  of  brick  work  built  around 
the  ends  of  the  beams;  the  anchor  irons  pulled  the  Avails  down;  they  would  pull  the 
walls  down  before  they  would  pull  out ;  I  think  they  were  sufficient  to  pull  the  walls 
down  when  the  floor  settled.  The  chimney  was  first  intended  to  rise  only  a  few  feet 
above  the  roof,  like  that  of  the  Duck  Mill,  as  it  now  is  ;  but  Mr.  Putnam,  whether 
because  the  number  of  boilers  increased,  or  because  he  desired  to  have  a  high  chim- 
ney from  fancy,  I  know  not,  wanted  to  have  it  made  higher ;  he  asked  me  if  I  thought 
it  would  bear  it ;  I  told  him  yes ;  this  was  after  the  foundation  of  the  chimney  was 
laid,  and  some  of  it  erected ;  should  have  made  the  foundation  broader,  and  should 
not  have  made  a  high  chimney  in  connection  with  the  walls ;  all  high  chimneys  are 
generally  made  disconnected  from  the  walls ;  by  the  swaying  of  the  chimney  the  wall 
was  cracked ;  apprehended  no  danger  from  the  crack  ;  the  chimney  and  its  crack  on 
one  side  are  still  standing ;  the  chimney  could  not  have  settled  to  crack  the  walls, 
because  we  guarded  against  it  in  the  foundation  ;  do  n't  remember  that  I  stated  to 
Mr.  Putnam  any  fears  that  the  walls  would  be  cracked  by  building  the  chimney 
higher.  When  I  first  came  to  Lawrence  it  was  fashionable  to  have  iron  pillars ;  do  n't 
think  they  were  used  much  before ;  a  plan  was  made  for  some  under  my  direction, 
the  Essex  Company  and  Machine  Shop  then  being  one ;  they  were  made  with  a  clasp 
to  go  round  the  beam,  not  with  a  pintle  to  go  through  it ;  the  main  object  of  iron  pil- 
lars being  to  sustain  the  upper  floors  in  case  of  fire;  it  was  to  be  made  certain  by  this 
clasp  ;  so  if  beams  should  be  taken  out  the  whole  structure  would  remain  above,  sup- 
ported by  the  columns  ;  never  had  or  used  any  model  with  a  pintle  going  through  the 
beam  in  the  Essex  Company;  all  the  other  mills  which  I  have  built  having  iron  pillars, 
have  these  clasps  going  round  the  beams.  [Witness  then  read  a  letter  from  Mr.  Put- 
nam, asking  the  engineer's  advice  about  pillars  for  the  three  lower  stories ;  also  read  a 
letter  from  Mr.  J.  B.  Francis  to  Mr.  Putnam,  saying  that  he  should  think  it  would  be 
better  to  have  the  columns  G  inches  in  diameter  and  f  inch  in  thickness,  instead  of  7 
inches  diameter  and  i  inch  thick,  as  in  the  Prescott  Mill,  of  five  stories.  Also  another 
letter  from  Mr.  Putnam  to  witness,  saying  he  would  desire  to  have  at  least  the  lower 
two  stories  supported  by  iron  pillars.  He  could  get  them  done  for  2  J-  cents,  but 
thought  the  Essex  Company  could  get  them  at  an  expense  of  2  cents  per  lb.  Also 
read  a  letter  from  witness  to  Mr.  Putnam,  saying  that  the  size  spoken  of  was  large 
enough,  and  giving  the  price  of  wooden  pillars  about  half  as  much  as  iron  ;  finally 
asking  Mr.  P.  to  decide  which  he  would  have.  Also  a  letter  from  Mr.  P.  to  witness 
in  relation  to  the  use  of  the  pintle,  asking  for  a  plan  for  that  part.  Witness  did  n't 
remember  whether  he  sent  a  plan.  Also  read  another  letter  from  Mr.  Putnam  to 
witness,  saying  that  he  concluded  to  have  wooden  pillars,  unless  pillars  of  the  follow- 
ing dimensions  wcro  thought  to  be  large  enough,  i.  e.,  floor  5^-£ ;  second  floor  5-£; 


76 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 


third  floor  4-}  ;  4th  floor  4-i ;  fifth  floor  3-solid.  Mr.  Bigelow  then  wrote  him  a 
letter,  informing  him  that  four  inches  was  smaller  than  he  had  ever  seen  a  pillar,  and 
he  could  not  vouch  for  their  sufficiency ;  he  advised  to  have  4^  or  5  inch  pillars  put  on 
the  third  floor ;  Mr.  Putnam  then  wrote  a  letter  to  witness,  saying  he  had  contracted 
with  Mr.  Fuller  to  make  the  columns  at  an  average  price  of  $8.50,  changing  the  size 
of  the  above  for  the  third  story  to  4|  inches ;  he  said  Mr.  Fuller  was  an  honest  man, 
and  would  make  honest  pillars ;  he  afterwards  received  another  letter  from  Mr.  P. 
altering  these  dimensions,  making  them  a  little  larger,  as  follows  :  those  of  the  first 
story  G  inches  in  diameter  and  f  inch  thick;  second  story,  5  §  inch  diameter  and  f 
inch  thick  5  third  story,  5^  inch  diameter  and  f  inch  thick  ;  fourth  story,  4  inches  in 
diameter  and  ^  inch  thick ;  fifth  story,  3  inches  in  diameter  and  solid.]  Received  a 
letter  from  Mr.  Putnam  April,  1853,  saying,  "  Mr.  Fuller  has  the  pillars  done  ;  he 
wants,  you  to  send  somebody  down  to  inspect  them.  He  says  they  are  first-rate  pil- 
lars, but  wants  you  to  send  down,  so  if  any  are  rejected  lie  can  save  the  freight." 
We  refused  to  send  a  man  down  to  inspect  them  ;  they  were  to  be  delivered  here ; 
no  one  was  sent  there  ;  it  was  merely  a  request  on  his  part  for  his  own  private  advan- 
tage ;  the  original  plan  for  using  a  pintle  did  not  come  from  my  suggestion,  always 
having  used  a  clasp;  I  received  the  suggestion  from  him,  and  made  up  my  mind  tha~t 
they  would  bear  up  enough  weight,  vertical  pressure,  and  so  told  him;  the  theory  of 
the  experiments  found  in  the  books,  and  the  practice  in  other  mills,  both  go  to  show 
that  there  was  an  ample  margin  of  security  in  the  dimensions  of  the  pillars  —  the  order 
being  to  render  the  margin  enormous ;  have  no  doubt  that  they  were  bought  in  abso- 
lute good  faith  by  Mr.  Putnam  ;  the  only  error  I  can  see  in  his  course  was  in  buying 
them  at  so  much  apiece  instead  of  so  much  a  pound ;  never  knew  of  any  test  for  cast- 
ing, except  to  examine  them  on  the  outside  ;  the  pillar  broken  was  defective ;  never 
saw  any  so  defective  as  some  of  these  are.  We  gave  the  pillars  an  ordinary  inspection, 
and  received  them  in  good  faith ;  have  no  doubt  but  that  they  were  examined  as 
much  as  pillars  ordinarily  are  ;  one  circumstance  points  directly  to  these  columns  as 
the  cause  of  this  accident ;  walls  and  wooden  structures  give  away  slowly,  and  cast 
iron  falls  suddenly ;  and  that  Avas  the  way  with  this  ;  wooden  columns  would  show 
splinters  and  give  warning  ;  the  mill  was  a  model  to  experienced  persons  for  its 
steadiness  and  the  approach  to  perfection  with  which  it  run  all  the  time  it  was  in 
motion  ;  a  year  or  two  after  the  mill  was  completed,  I  was  in  and  out  constantly  to  see 
how  it  went ;  the  delicate  bearings  of  the  heavy  shafting  at  the  south  end  were  always 
remarkably  true ;  the  overseers  said  so ;  especially  was  this  true  at  the  south  end ; 
here  any  settling  would  be  found  out  beforehand,  even  slight  settling,  which  would  be 
considered  of  no  consequence  to  the  stability  of  the  building  ;  have  often,  after  I 
handed  it  over,  for  a  year  or  two  run  my  eye  along  the  walls,  and  they  were  always 
true  to  their  original  line  ;  have  always  seen  from  Canal  street  that  the  end  was  per- 
fectly straight  and  plumb. 

Afternoon  Session. 

TESTIMONY  OF   GEORGE   A.   HIBBARD. 

Have  examined  the  pillars  here ;  think  the  metal  is  very  good ;  think  it  is  not 
properly  cast ;  the  core  used  is  what  is  called  sand  core,  mixed  with  beat  sand  and 
meal ;  the  core  would  be  raised  or  "  floated  "  if  it  was  not  secure  in  its  place  by  chap- 
lets  ;  we  are  now  casting  some  for  a  store  in  Boston,  eleven  inches  in  diameter,  and 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  thick  ;  think  some  of  the  imperfections  might  have  been  dis- 
covered by  passing  over  them  with  a  hammer ;  we  had  a  machine  for  testing  the 


THE    LAWRENCE     CALAMITY.  77 

equality  of  pipes  by  weighing ;  never  saw  it  used ;  it  would  tell  imperfections  very 
quick ;  never  knew  of  any  test  applied  to  any  pillars  where  I  have  worked ;  should 
think  these  columns  were  too  light  and  thin  ;  never  have  seen  columns  of  this  size 
used  to  sustain  such  a  weight;  we  have  been  in  the  habit  of  making  pillars  10  or  11 
inches  in  diameter,  and  from  1^  to  2-^  inches  in  thickness  for  the  lower  stories  of  build- 
ings ;  the  pillars  in  State  Street  block,  running  through  the  building,  are  10  inches  in 
diameter,  and  2^  inches  thick. 

TESTIMONY   OF    GEORGE    W.    SMITH. 

My  business,  dealer  in  general  wrought-iron  works  for  stores,  fronts,  &c. ;  have  had 
a  good  deal  of  experience  erecting  cast-iron  pillars ;  never  applied  any  tests ;  should 
think  the  iron  in  these  pillars  is  as  good  as  is  ever  put  into  pillars;  don't  think  they 
could  make  so  thin  castings  out  of  very  poor  iron ;  think  the  metal  is  a  mixture  of 
Scotch  and  American  iron  ;  have  generally  put  them  in  the  upper  stories;  the  greatest 
length  of  span  I  have  ever  known  in  these  buildings  where  I  have  put  iron  pillars  has 
been  ten  or  fifteen  feet  one  way,  and  twenty  or  twenty-two  feet  the  other  way. 

CAPT.    BIGELOW   RECALLED. 

Since  the  morning  session  I  have  corrected  my  memory  in  regard  to  the  bonding  of 
the  walls ;  the  bonding  between  the  window-jams  were  only  four  inches  thick ;  some 
of  the  beams  were  four  inches  short,  that  would  leave  four  or  five  inches  on  the  Avail ; 
don't  think  the  shortness  of  the  timbers  were  anything  against  the  stability  of  the  walls ; 
if  I  had,  I  should  have  rejected  them  ;  the  walls  were  not  made  vaulted  with  regard  to 
saving  expense  ;  it  never  entered  my  mind  that  too  much  Aveight  was  put  on  the  floors, 
I  had  such  confidence  in  the  great  excess  of  strength ;  should  have  preferred  clasps, 
instead  of  pintles,  between  the  columns ;  the  difference  in  weight  between  the  different 
kinds  would  be  some  two  hundred  pounds ;  have  known  spans  frequently  twenty-five 
or  twenty-six  feet ;  twenty-seven  feet  was  rather  long  ;  the  timber  was  excellent,  and 
particular  care  was  taken  to  make  the  floors  rigid  when  they  needed  nothing  in  strength  ; 
the  timbers  were  as  strong  as  are  ever  put  in  such  a  building ;  the  bricks  were  perhaps 
a  quality  rather  inferior  in  regard  to  straightness  and  smoothness ;  am  always  particular 
to  throw  out  soft  bricks ;  always  was  careful  to  have  the  joints  of  the  brieks  completely 
filled  with  mortar ;  it  was  most  carefully  superintended ;  by  a  calculation  made  from 
the  figures  of  the  overseer,  Mr.  Winn,  in  regard  to  the  Aveight  of  machinery  on  that 
part  where  the  mill  fell  first,  it  was  concluded  that  fifteen  tons  were  put  on  a  section 
of  floor  twenty-nine  feet  eight  inches  by  fifty-two  feet ;  don't  think  this  was  heavier  than 
should  be  borne  up ;  should  not  have  hesitated  to  have  placed  that  weight  there  my- 
self; think  the  floors  would  sustain  as  much  as  if  the  crack  was  not  in  the  wall ;  any 
settlement  of  the  Avails  would  have  been  indicated  by  breaking  of  the  Avindow  caps 
and  sills. 

Q.  Should  you  now  have  any  hesitation  in  using  such  shoring  as  this  for  a  building 
of  the  height,  weight  and  character  of  this,  knowing  what  you  do  ? 

x\.  I  should  not  use  pillars  like  them  again ;  this  is  the  lesson  to  be  learned  from 
this  accident ;  cast  iron  must  be  more  carefully  inspected  than  it  has  been  before  ;  I 
should  test  them  Avith  the  hammer,  and  make  them  lartrer,  to  aive  a  lare;er  margin  of 
security ;  I  should  not  use  pintles  but  clasps,  such  as  have  been  used  in  all  other  mills 
here  where  iron  pillars  are  used. 

Q.  What,  in  your  opinion,  Avas  the  cause  of  this  accident? 

A.  The  bad  manipulation  in  the  casting  of  those  pillars. 


78  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

Evening  Session. 
TESTIMONY   OF    ELBRIDGE   JOSLYN. 

Am  engaged  in  a  foundry ;  was  superintendent  of  the  foundry  here  at  Lawrence  ; 
before  that  was  superintendent  in  Lowell;  have  examined  these  pillars;  the  iron 
seems  to  be  good ;  the  casting  must  have  been  done  badly ;  have  been  in  the  habit  of 
easting  pillars;  sometimes,  in  casting,  pillars  are  slightly  unequal  —  perhaps  to  the 
extent  of  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch — but  one  so  bad  as  this  one  exhibited  we  could 
have  discovered  and  should  have  broken  it  up  ;  always  test  the  pillars  by  hammering 
them  with  a  sledge ;  could  tell  a  very  thin  place  in  a  pillar  by  a  peculiar  appearance 
outside,  which  would  always  show  until  it  was  painted;  all  our  pillars  are  tested  ;  the 
pattern  of  the  Atlantic  pillar  was  a  thicker  pillar  than  these,  and  had  a  thicker  cap ; 
it  had  a  clasp  going  around  the  beam  instead  of  a  pintle  going  through ;  the  pillars 
used  on  the  Atlantic  were  much  stronger  than  these  ;  we  made  some  columns  for  the 
Bay  State  Mills,  with  pintles;  they  were  stronger  pintles  than  these;  the  flange  was 
twice  as  thick  as  this. 

TESTIMONY   OF   JOHN   C.   IIOADLEY. 

Have  been  employed  seven  years  here  as  superintendent  and  agent  in  the  Law- 
rence machine  shop;  have  been  a  mechanical  and  civil  engineer  since  the  year  1835; 
the  piece  of  iron  before  me  is  tolerably  good ;  the  great  defect  in  the  pillar  is  eccen- 
tricity of  the  core ;  three  or  four  chaplets  arc  usually  set  in  a  column  to  prevent  sag- 
ging of  the  core;  if  the  eccentricity  of  the  core  is  great,  one  side  cools  very  quickly, 
while  the  other  side  is  still  in  a  molten  state ;  thus  one  side  would  contract  one-eighth 
of  an  inch  to  a  foot,  and  the  other  side  not  so  much;  this  would  bring  the  tension  on 
the  rever  •  :  id  and  be  liable  to  break  il ;  there  is  also  danger  of  "cold  chucks,"  as  \>e 
call  them,  rendering  them  liable  to  snap;  we  have  never  applied  any  test,  other  than 
careful  inspection  of  the  exterior  and  strokes  of  the  hammer ;  the  difference  of  half  an 
inch  could  be  detected;  the  difficulty  in  the  pillars  before  me  is  in  the  insecurity  of  the 
fastening  of  the  core;  have  visited  the  ruins  and  seen  three  pillars,  which,  if  properly 
tested,  should  have  been  rejected  ;  should  not  willingly  send  out  such  pillars  myself; 
the  witness  was  struck  with  the  lack  of  stability  in  the  lines  of  the  pillars  in  (lie  build- 
ings; having  such  a  small  base,  they  were  very  liable  to  be  thrown  out  of  line;  it'  one 
column  had  fallen,  it  would  seem  as  if  all  must  go,  as  the  doors  were  strong  and  tena- 
cious, and  the  beams  interlocked  by  the  pintles ;  as  soon  as  one  column  of  pillars  was 
thrown  out  of  line,  the  others  would  be  operated  on  as  by  a  very  powerful  lever, 
and  then  forced  down ;  if  the  plan  for  these  pintles  had  been  brought  to  me  by  a  respon- 
sible engineer  or  architect,  I  should  not  have  taken  the  trouble  to  calculate  upon  its 
stability ;  think  that  the  cap  of  a  pintle  would  become  weakened  by  a  heavy  jar  long 
continued ;  it  would  be  analogous  to  the  repeated  blows  of  a  hammer. 

Sixth.  Day.— Morning  Session. 
TESTIMONY    OF   ISAAC    FLETCHER. 

Contracted  to  lay  the  foundation  of  the  Pembcrton  Manufacturing  Company's  Mill ; 
have  been  in  the  business  about  thirteen  years;  furnished  and  laid  stones  for  the  Pem- 
berton  Mill ;  considered  the  base  good  and  the  foundation  well  laid ;  I  had  the  utmost 
confidence  in  the  foundation;  have  seen  nothing  since  to  make  me  think  the  founda- 
tion was  not  good. 

TESTIMONY  OF    EDWARD    P.    WHITNEY. 

Was  in  the  employ  of  the  Pembcrton  Manufacturing  Company  at  the  time  of  the 


THE   LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  79 

accident;  was  in  the  fourth  story,  where  I  had  been  moving  fiy  frames;  I  was  sitting 
on  the  pulley  of  one  of  the  frames,  the  south  end  of  the  se  ond  frame  from  the  west- 
erly tier  of  columns;  first  felt  the  frame  settling;  I  was  looking  towards  the  south,  and 
saw  all  south  of  me  settling;  thought  the  cards  in  the  south  view  were  settling  a  little 
in  advance  of  those  where  I  stood.  We  had  not  ceased  moving  the  machines  more 
than  five  minutes  ;  heard  no  crack  at  all ;  should  think  it  was  not  more  than  three  seconds 
from  the  time  I  noticed  the  settling  before  all  was  down ;  think  we  had  much  more 
weight  in  that  part  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  mill ;  where  we  set  the  fly  frames  a 
lot  of  cards  were  removed  ;  should  think  the  fly  frames  made  a -much  greater  weight  to 
the  square  foot  than  the  cards  ;  made  a  remark  at  the  dinner  table  that  day  that  I 
didn't  see  what  held  the  mill  up ;  nothing  but  the  great  weight  caused  me  to  say  so. 

CHARLES   H.    BIGELOW,   RECALLED. 

Must  have  approved  of  the  plan  of  the  columns  and  pintles  ;  believed  that  the  col- 
umns, being  ordinarily  well  cast,  would  sustain  the  weight  required;  should  think  the 
floor  would  have  borne  on  the  columns  about  three  or  four  tons  each ;  don't  think 
more  weight  was  put  on  the  columns  than  they  should  have  borne. 

TESTIMONY   OF    SAMUEL   GOULD. 

Am  a  millwright ;  have  been  such  not  far  from  thirty  years ;  was  not  employed  in 
tire  construction  of  the  Pemberton  Mill,  but  went  there  when  the  second  story  was  put 
up  ;  I  was  to  have  charge  of  the  yard  when  the  mill  was  running,  and  I  was  to  stay 
there  and  take  notice  of  any  thing  that  was  going  on  wrong;  was  put  there  by  Mr.  Put- 
nam ;  thought  it  did  not  look  so  substantial  as  many  other  mills  I  had  seen  ;  had  no 
apprehension  of  danger ;  didn't  remain  until  the  mills  went  into  operation  ;  have  heard 
persons  say  that  they  "  went  as  near  the  wind  "  as  they  could  in  building  it. 

TESTIMONY   OF   B.    F.    CHADBURN. 

Am  a  bricklayer ;  have  been  employed  by  the  Pemberton  Mill  Company ;  have  made 
nearly  all  of  the  repairs  on  the  mill  since  the  mill  was  completed  ;  thought  the  mortar 
was  not  good  enough  ;  first  thought  so  soon  after  the  mill  commenced  running.  When 
I  made  a  hole  through  the  wall  for  a  bolt  to  run  through,  the  mortar  was  brittle,  and 
seemed  to  have  too  much  sand  in  it ;  thought  it  looked  as  if  it  was  taken  out  there  ; 
also  made  holes  in  other  parts  of  the  wall  when  irons  were  put  in  ;  found  it  difficult  to 
drill  a  hole  through,  because  the  bricks  were  so  loose  they  would  push  right  through  ; 
the  bricks  had  been  laid  there  about  two  years. 

TESTIMONY   OF    STEVENS   DOCKHAM. 

I  sent  these  pillars  and  caps  from  the  ruins ;  one  in  the  entry  was  taken  outside  and 
stove  up ;  the  others  came  from  within  forty  feet  up  to  a  hundred  of  the  south  end ; 
there  are  hardly  a  dozen  in  the  basement  not  yet  exhibited,  all  of  which  came  from 
the  same  neighborhood  ;  one  was  found  with  the  pintle  pressed  into  it,  which  came  out. 
of  the  fourth  timber  from  the  south  end ;  didn't  find  any  defective  pillars  until  Satur- 
day ;  believe  the  foundation  remains  perfectly  sound ;  have  seen  nothing  besides  the 
defective  pillars  to  which  I  could  attribute  this  accident. 

TESTIMONY   OF    HENRY   STUDLEY. 

Was  employed  in  the  Pemberton  Mill,  in  the  fourth  story,  about  twenty  feet  from  the 
east  wall,  and  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  feet  from  the  south  end  ;  I  was  at  the 
fly  frame  nearest  the  wall,  facing  Mr.  Winn ;  I  was  talking  with  him,  and  he  exclaimed, 
M  What  is  that  ?  "  I  looked  around,  and  saw  the  floor  settling  towards  the  south-east  cor- 


80  TIIE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

ner;  saw  the  cards  then  go  down,  and  the  floor  above  it  follow  it ;  should  think  the 
floor  commenced  to  fall  near  the  south-east  corner ;  should  think  the  easterly  side  was 
the  lowest ;  Mr.  Glover  said  he  thought  he  saw  the  pillar  spring,  and  after  that  we 
moved  the  machines  by  boring  a  hole  in  the  floor;  on  the  day  of  the  accident  we  had  to 
move  the  next  to  the  last  machine  further  than  the  others,  to  allow  of  getting  in  the 
last ;  a  man  was  about  to  bore  another  hole ;  I  said  to  him,  "  Don't  bore  another  hole 
there,  let  us  move  it  with  bars ; "  Mr.  Winn  said  we  could  take  a  sling  around  the  foot 
of  a  pillar  and  draw  it  the  short  distance ;  it  was  done,  and  we  moved  the  machine  two 
or  three  feet  by  that  moans.  Never  had  an  idea  that  the  mill  was  unsafe  ;  have  been 
engaged  as  a  millwright  for  seven  years. 

Afternoon  Session. 
THOMAS   P.    WIXX,  RECALLED. 

Had  no  recollection  of  directing  Mr.  Studley  to  put  the  tackle  around  the  foot  of  the 
pillar  to  move  one  of  the  machines,  on  the  day  of  the  accident ;  might  have  given  my 
consent  to  it ;  should  have  had  no  hesitation  to  do  so ;  I  only  objected  to  putting  it 
around  the  pillar  before  because  it  was  put  up  so  high  on  the  pillar. 

TESTIMONY   OE   JULIA  IIARTIGAN. 

Was  employed  in  the  spinning-room,  but  was  in  the  spool-room,  at  the  time  of  the  ac- 
cident, in  the  fifth  story;  I  was  near  the  centre  of  the  spooling-room,  which  was  in  the 
south  end  ;  I  was  engaged  in  a  deep  conversation  with  another  girl,  and  the  first  thing 
I  noticed  the  floor  went  down  and  we  went  with  it;  seized  hold  of  each  other;  when 
that  floor  went  down  to  the  next  we  felt  a  short  halt  and  a  sort  of  a  shake,  and  so  on 
through  the  floors. 

TESTIMONY   OF   GEORGE    HOWE,   OWNER. 

Reside  in  Boston ;  was  interested  in  this  mill ;  the  property  of  the  Pemberton  Mills 
was  offered  first  at  private  sale  ;  not  being  sold,  it  was  offered  at  auction  ;  a  general 
schedule  was  given  of  the  property — in  it  the  number  of  spindles  and  number  of  looms; 
a  number  of  gentlemen,  of  whom  I  was  one,  associated  together  for  the  purchase  of  the 
establishment ;  Ave  agreed  before  the  sale  that  we  would  bid  the  sum  of  $300,000  ;  at  the 
sale  Mr.  Nevins  and  myself  were  inclined  to  give  more  ;  the  others  were  not,  and  gave 
us  to  understand  they  should  stop  at  that  point ;  we  held  an  argument  with  them  to  in- 
duce them  to  go  beyond  ;  we  endeavored  to  persuade  them  to  go  to  $825,000  ;  Mr.  B» 
C.  Hooper  was  one  of  the  gentlemen,  Mr.  Nichols  (Nichols,  Pierce,  &  Co.)  another  who 
declined  going  beyond  ;  Mr.  Hooper  was  to  bid  on  the  property  ;  he  arrived  at  the  point 
agreed,  beyond  which  he  would  not  go ;  Mr.  Nevins  persuaded  him  to  continue  to 
$310,000;  at  that  point  he  stopped  and  refused  to  go  any  further;  another  bid  was 
made,  and  then  Mr.  Nevins  came  to  me  and  asked  if  I  would  join  him  equally  in  ob- 
taining the  building;  at  that  point,  I  think,  Mr.  Amos  A.  Lawrence  I  discovered  was 
bidding  against  us  ;  believe  he  was  bidding  in  behalf  of  gentlemen  supposed  to  be  fa- 
miliar with  the  property  ;  didn't  suppose  him  to  be  a  by-bidder,  and  never  have  thought 
so;  Mr.  Lawrence  I  know  made  the  last  bid  but  one;  think  it  was  within  $250  of  tho 
final  bid  ;  Mr.  Nevins  came  to  me  and  asked  me  if  he  should  bid  again  ;  I  answered  yes ; 
he  asked  me  how  much  ;  I  told  him  I  would  indicate  to  him  when  he  should  stop ;  he  did 
bid  again,  and  the  property  was  struck  down  to  Mr.  Nevins  at  $325,000  ;  Mr.  Edward  T. 
Rand  was  employed  by  us  for  the  examination  of  the  title,  and  it  had  his  approval ;  we  then 
applied  to  the  Legislature  for  a  charter;  the  bill,  with  the  least  possible  delay,  passed  the 
House,  and  then  the  Senate,  and  it  had  at  once  the  approval  of  the  governor;  the  great 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  81 

inducement  they  had  for  such  summary  action  was  found  in  the  representation  of  the 
representatives  of  Lawrence,  that  a  number  of  operatives  were  here  in  a  state  of  suffering 
in  consequence  of  being  thrown  out  of  employ,  by  the  stoppage  of  the  mills ;  the  purchase 
was  on  the  8th  of  February,  and  early  in  March  the  mill  commenced  operation  ;  I  un- 
dertook to  act  as  the  treasurer,  and  Mr.  Nevins  as  the  selling  agent ;  it  devolved  on  me 
to  make  an  arrangement  for  an  agent ;  Mr.  Chase  the  previous  agent  had  been  recom- 
mended to  me  by  Dr.  Hobbs,  of  Waltham,  former  agent,  and  now  agent  of  the  Waltham 
Company ;  he  came  to  my  office  and  wished  me  to  consider  Mr.  Chase  as  an  applicant, 
recommending  him  in  unqualified  terms ;  he  had  his  education  from  his  youth  up  in 
charge,  first  at  school  and  then  in  the  various  departments ;  had  previously  recommended 
four  other  parties,  in  whom  I  equally  had  confidence ;  at  once  I  made  an  arrange- 
ment, with  him ;  he  named  his  salary,  it  was  $2500  a  year,  and  I  immediately  closed 
with  him ;  he  was  authorized  to  go  forward  and  engage  all  the  overseers  at  his  discretion, 
and  pay  them  whatever  he  thought  proper ;  manufacturing  business  was  then  uncom- 
monly depressed ;  the  Pcmberton  Mills  had  an  accumulation  of  stock  unsold.  (This 
was  the  other  corporation.  We  changed  the  name  and  called  it  Pemberton  Manufac- 
turing Company.)  The  stock  amounted  to  several  hundred  thousand  dollars  ;  at  the 
outset  we  didn't  expect  Mr.  Chase  would  pay  so  much  for  wages  as  if  the  business  was 
better,  and  he  didn't;  we  began  selling  the  goods  very  cheap,  and  the  prices  afterwards 
advanced,  and  as  they  advanced  we  allowed  Mr.  Chase  to  advance  the  wages,  until  they 
were  advanced,  I  should  say,  in  the  neighborhood  of  twenty  per  cent ;  the  business 
went  on  increasing ;  I  made  it  a  point  almost  without  an  exception  to  visit  the  mill  once 
a  week,  and  go  through  every  floor;  Mr.  Chase  accompanied  me  ;  not  more  than  once 
or  twice,  for' nearly  two  years,  did  I  find  Mr.  Chase  absent ;  he  never  knew  when  I  was 
going  to  visit  the  mill,  and  I  had  the  greatest  reason  to  believe  in  his  ability  and  faithful- 
ness ;  Mr.  Nevins,  living  in  Methucn,  and  attending  to  the  styles  of  the  goods,  visited  it 
much  oftener  than  I  did ;  he  generally  informed  me  when  he  did  visit  the  mill,  statins 
that  he  had  visited  it  all  through ;  Mr.  Chase  never  knew  to  my  knowledge  at  what 
time  Mr.  Nevins  was  to  visit  the  mill ;  I  found  Mr.  Chase  extremely  intelligent ;  I 
thought  I  knew  much  of  manufacturing,  but  I  found  he  knew  much  more  than  I  did ;.. 
we  went  on  until  the  day  of  the  disaster ;  it  so  happened  that  on  that  day  Mr.  Nevins^ 
had  visited  the  mill,  as  he  represented  tome  in  the  morning ;  on  his  return  to  Boston  ho- 
reported  to  me  that  he  had  never  been  better  satisfied  with  the  operation  of  the  mill 
than  on  that  day;  I  came  down  by  the  afternoon  train,  half-past  two  o'clock  ;  having 
then  but  a  short  time  to  stay,  I  went  in  company  with  Mr.  Chase  directly  to  the  milL.as- 
was  my  custom  to  do ;  we  had  passed  through  the  weaving-room  and  the  principal  card-r 
ing-room,  the  lower  one;  from  there  we  went  to  the  third  story,  spinning-room ;  we 
entered  at  the  north  end,  and  as  we  passed  the  mules,  I  remarked  to  Mr.  Chase  that  L 
thought  that  they  were  running  remarkably  well ;  we  had  reached  the  last  pair  of  mules,, 
and  I  simply  said,  without  meaning  much,  "  This  pair  of  mules  seems  not  to  be  working  so- 
well  ; "  he  had  a  good  reason  to  give  for  it ;  they  were  employed  on  slacker  twisted  yarn  ;„ 
while  he  was  making  his  explanation  we  stopped  about  fifteen  seconds ;  had  it  not  been 
for  this  suggestion  and  this  halt  in  our  passage  through  the  room,  we  should  have  been 
directly  under  the  point  where  the  floor  first  began  to  sink ;  we  heard  a  noise  and  I 
think  simultaneously  the  mules  stopped  ;  Mr.  Chase  exclaimed,  "  What  is  that  V  "  and  L 
think  I  made  the  same  exclamation  ;  in  looking  in  the  direction  from  which  the  noise 
came,  towards  the  southerly  end,  about  midway  of  the  passage,  in  the  westerly  alley,, 
we  discovered  at  once  the  columns  were  falling  towards  ourselves;  the  be«ims  were  sinkr 
ing ;  we  then  turned  round  to  make  an  escape ;  I  deemed  it  extremely  .doubtful  whether. 
we  should  get  out;  but  we  fortunately  did. 
11 


82  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

Q.     What  part  of  the  mill  did  the  noise  come  from  ? 

A.  It  came  from  the  south  end ;  the  noise  sounded  very  much  like  snow  sliding  from 
the  roof;  the  pillars  in  the  centre  seemed  to  be  going  first ;  the  ceiling  was  coming 
down  ;  did  not  feel  the  floor  inclining  upwards;  we  ran  half  the  length  of  the  mill ;  the 
falling  gained  on  us  behind ;  think  the  timbers  from  above  came  near  striking  us ;  a 
large  number  escaped  through  the  door  which  I  did ;  it  could  not  have  been  two  seconds 
after  we  passed  the  threshold  before  the  mill  was  a  mass  of  ruins ;  I  stated  the  price  at 
which  this  mill  sold  ;  I  should  state  in  connection  with  that,  that  at  that  time  factory 
shares  were  selling,  many  of  them,  much  below  the  rate  at  which  we  purchased  this  mill; 
we  paid  this  price  for  this  factory  for  the  advantage  on  the  one  hand,  of  having  more 
exclusive  control  of  it,  and  on  the  other  for  its  high  reputation  ;  at  the  time  we  purchased 
the  mill,  its  reputation  was  high ;  before  it  was  sold,  the  company  got  Messrs.  Isaac 
Hinckley  and  William  A.  Burke  to  come  here  and  make  an  estimate  of  its  value ;  they 
did  so ;  they  were  requested  to  report  also  what  it  would  cost  to  build  a  duplicate  mill, 
and  they  reported  (in  round  numbers)  that  the  stationary  property  would  cost  something 
over  $200,000;  the  movable  property,  such  as  machinery  and  fixtures,  and  motive  power 
would  cost  $427,000;  together  it  amounted  to  something  over  $G40,000  ;  the  land 
and  water  power  was  not  included,  because  the  price  had  varied ;  I  had  the  greatest 
confidence  in  the  judgment  of  Mr.  Burke,  for  he  had  been  for  many  years  at  the  head  of 
the  machine  shop  of  the  Amoskeag  Company,  in  which  I  had  been  from  its  commence- 
ment, a  director ;  Mr.  Hinckley  stood  as  highly  as  Mr.  Burke,  as  his  name  was  first  ap- 
pended to  the  statement ;  by  referring  to  the  quotations  at  that  time,  it  can  be  seen  that 
factory  stock  was  selling  for  about  a  third  price ;  when  we  had  our  charter,  one-half  of 
the  shares  was  taken  by  Mr.  Nevins  ;  I  gave  twenty  shares  to  Mr.  Samuel  W.  Swett, 
President  of  the  National  Insurance  Company,  twenty  to  one  of  my  sons,  and  ten  to 
another,  and  I  had  the  rest  myself —  250  shares ;  the  property  was  divided  into  six  hun- 
dred shares  ;  it  was  insured  for  over  $400,000 ;  it  covered  all  the  buildings,  and  all  the 
stocking  process,  and  all  machinery ;  I  think  the  insurance  on  the  machinery  was  for 
$200,000,  on  the  buildings  about  $80,000,  on  the  cotton  stock  $50,000,  on  the  stock  in 
process  over  $30,000  ;  most  emphatically  I  can  say  that  never  the  first  word  was  said  to 
me  against  the  stability  of  the  building ;  I  have  heard  since  the  accident,  that  some 
people  had  made  remarks  ;  but  no  such  remark  ever  came  to  me  from  the  agent,  or  any- 
body else ;'  it  was  considered  the  model  mill,  and  was  insured  for  the  lowest  premium ; 
Mr.  Mather,  who  acts  for  the  Manufacturers'  Insurance  Company  of  Boston,  was  so 
well  acquainted  with  the  property  that  he  required  no  representation  from  us ;  he  had 
$40,000  on  it.;  no  one  ever  said  a  word  to  me  against  the  perfect  security  of  the  mill ; 
never  heard  a  word  about  the  broken  pintle  which  has  been  testified  to  ;  never  knew 
that  I  was  part  owner  of  extra  caps  to  strengthen  the  flanges  of  the  pintles ;  had 
no  knowledge  of  the  character  of  the  walls  any  further  than  this ;  there  are  unerring  in- 
dications of  the  stability  of  walls ;  a  building  having  granite  caps  and  sills  must  show  any 
•settling  by  breaking  these ;  never  knew  any  cracking  of  any  caps  or  sills ;  it  was  the  re- 
mark of  Mr.  Chase  that  the  walls  had  stood  so  perfectly  that  not  one  sill  or  cap  had 
been  cracked ;  the  remark  was  made  when  we  were  discussing  the  question  of  filling  up 
the  upper  carding-room,  which  was  not  fully  occupied  ;  we  were  wanting  more  weaving, 
and  I  asked  Mr.  Chase  if  he  thought  it  would  be  safe  to  fill  it  up :  he  said  that  he 
thought  the  building  was  strong  enough,  inasmuch  as  the  walls  had  never  settled ;  I 
afterwards  concluded  not  to  run  the  risk  ;  never  made  any  change  in  the  machinery  ex- 
cept in  the  lower  story ;  we  took  out  six  jacquard  looms,  very  heavy,  and  substituted 
common  looms;  the  third  story  was  occupied  by  mules  and  spinning  frames ;  the  mules 
•were  placed  at  right  angles  of  the  building  from  one  end  to  the  other,  leaving  a  passage 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  83 

way ;  they  had  a  bearing  the  whole  length  of  the  room,  on  castors ;  the  action  of  the 
motion  on  the  building  was  very  little,  the  tendency  of  the  works  being  rather  to  add 
stability  to  the  building ;  the  ring  spinning  was  such  that  one  could  hardly  know  they 
were  in  motion  if  they  were  not  looking  at  them ;  the  motion  would  not  occasion  the 
slightest  action  on  the  building ;  the  fourth  floor  was  occupied  by  another  set  of  mules, 
acting  the  same  way  as  the  mules  below,  running  the  same  way,  and  of  the  same  con- 
struction ;  at  the  other  end  of  the  fourth  story  were  placed  three  cards,  staffers  and  fly 
frames,  occupying  about  half  the  surface  altogether ;  a  portion  of  this  floor  was  parti- 
tioned off  and  occupied  as  the  drawing-in-room,  where  there  is  no  motion  to  act  on  the 
building ;  we  had  a  less  quantity  of  stock  in  the  mill  than  has  been  usual ;  in  the  fourth 
story,  we  were  arranging  the  cards  —  not  increasing,  but  giving  them  a  different  com- 
bination ;  by  this  we  were  to  make  a  space  to  be  occupied  by  a  pair  of  mules  to  be 
moved  from  the  floor  below ;  they  had  not  been  moved ;  nothing  had  been  put  in  it,  but 
a  lapper  of  great  weight  had  been  removed,  a  heavy  coder  had  also  been  removed,  and 
a4 railroad  of  no  great  weight  placed  there,  so  the  weight  had  been  largely  diminished 
on  that  floor ;  my  ideas  of  the  stability  of  the  mill  were  increased  by  noticing  the  best 
system  of  iron  girding  inside  I  ever  saw  in  a  mill ;  as  proof  of  it,  I  may  say  that  I  was 
never  on  the  floor  of  a  factory  that  had  such  stability  as  that  one  did ;  I  make  no  ex- 
ception ;  in  regard  to  the  walls,  I  think  their  stability  depends  more  upon  the  beams  in- 
side than  the  walls  themselves ;  I  think  if  walls  are  connected  by  timbers,  trussed  with 
iron  and  anchored  at  each  end  in  the  walls,  and  if  the  floor  is  perfectly  supported,  a  wall 
will  be  kept  secure  from  falling  outward,  and  it  is  impossible  it  should  fall  inward  ;  if  the 
floors  were  taken  out,  a  strong  wind  would  be  likely  to  blow  the  walls  over ;  since  I 
have  been  associated  in  the  interest  of  the  mill  there  has  been  nothing  added  to  it  nor 
taken  from  it  to  affect  its  stability ;  the  crack  about  the  chimney  I  never  heard  the  first 
word  about;  never  knew  of  any  crack  about  the  building;  I  judged  of  the  building  by 
its  parentage ;  Messrs.  Putnam  and  Lowell  never  have  been  known  to  slight  any  thing 
for  the  sake  of  saving  money ;  money  was  of  little  consequence  to  them  compared  with 
stability ;  I  had  never  known  an  iron  column  to  give  way  when  the  weight  is  kept 
vertical. 

Evening  Session. 

t 

TESTIMONY   OF   IRA   TRUE. 

I  am  a  carpenter ;  have  been  employed  on  Pemberton  Corporation  since  the  second 
floor  was  put  on ;  was  in  the  repair  shop  at  the  time  of  the  fall ;  in  attending  to  repairs  I 
have  been  called  to  level  shafting  when  it  was  between  the  pillars ;  the  upper  card- 
room  required  the  most  attention  :  have  been  called  there  seven  or  eight  times  lately  ;  the 
levelling  was  done  mostly  on  Sunday ;  a  settling  of  three-eighths  of  an  inch  would  cause 
heat;  the  shafting  adjusted  in  the  card-room  was  towards  the  left  wall ;  in  one  or  two 
places  have  been  called  a  number  of  times  to  adjust  the  same  portion  of  shafting ;  in 
some  cases  we  deferred  the  levelling  until  the  next  week ;  some  on  the  south  end  were 
adjusted  twice;  the  shafting  was  not  much  affected  by  heat ;  have  been  employed  in 
mills  at  Newburyport ;  the  settling  was  caused  by  springing  of  timbers,  what  carpenters 
call  "  sagging ; "  some  of  the  timbers  of  the  flooring  of  the  fifth  story  sagged  perhaps  five 
inches  ;  Messrs.  Studley  &  Whitney  assisted  in  the  levelling  up ;  considered  the  sagging 
a  sign  of  weakness ;  I  reported  the  fact  to  one  of  the  men  who  worked  with  me,  and 
adapted  the  shafting  to  the  beams  ;  Mr.  Glover  had  the  hiring  of  the  hands,  but  I  did 
not  report  the  fact  of  the  sagging  to  him ;  it  was  noticed  more  particularly  a  fortnight 
ago ;  the  beams  all  sagged,  more  or  less ;  they  were  double  timbers,  running  east  and 


84  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

west ;  the  shafting  we  adjusted  run  from  north  to  south  ;  we  put  bearings  or  hangers  at 
the  extreme  south  end ;  can't  tell  what  sagging  there  was  there  ;  detected  the  greatest 
sag  near  the  south  end,  perhaps  the  fourth  beam,  near  the  centre ;  I  applied  no  other 
test  than  sighting ;  the  shafting  needed  to  be  adjusted  with  great  nicety;  started  our 
bearings  at  the  south  end;  we  generally  found  the  lowest  point,  and  started  our  shaft- 
ing there ;  levelling  up  became  necessary  ;  have  discovered  settling  in  the  weave-room 
and  levelled  up ;  it  was  not  in  the  same  portion  of  the  mill ;  the  dressers  in  the  fifth  story 
stood  lengthway  of  the  beams ;  three  occupied  the  width  of  the  mill,  one  between  each 
beam ;  there  was  an  alley  running  through  the  centre  of  the  room  ;  from  my  observation, 
the  sagging  of  the  fourth  story  was  caused  by  the  floor  above;  the  settling  of  the  middle 
portion  of  the  building  caused  the  sagging  ;  I  never  saw  any  thing  about  the  mill  indicat- 
ing danger,  but  considered  it  safe ;  never  helped  to  level  up  the  dressers ;  if  there  had 
been  a  settling  of  two  inches  of  the  iloor  in  the  fifth  story,  the  dressers,  I  think,  could 
not  have  run ;  if  there  was  any  one  timber  in  its  original  state  and  in  a  perfect  line,  I 
think  there  would  have  been  three  inches'  difference  caused  by  the  sagging ;  was  di- 
rected to  go  into  the  building  to  level  the  shafting  by  Mr.  Glover,  generally ;  in  the  last- 
mentioned  case,  Mr.  Studley  directed  me ;  we  put  up  the  new  line  of  the  shafting  about 
four  feet  from  the  old ;  the  shafting  put  up  was  old ;  think  it  was  taken  from  near  the 
middle. 

MORRIS    KXOWLES,   RECALLED. 

In  the  year  1853,  the  last  of  March  or  first  of  April,  Captain  Bigelow  sent  for  me  to 
come  to  his  office  and  gave  me  the  dimensions  of  the  mill,  and  asked  me  to  make  an  es- 
timate for  what  I  would  build  it,  I  finding  certain  parts  of  the  lumber,  the  Essex  Com- 
pany the  rest;  I  made  the  estimate  and  took  the  contract;  as  I  was  busy  I  went  to 
Lowell  and  got  Mr.  Dodge,  and  he  attended  to  the  details  of  the  work  afterwards;  I 
frequently  visited  the  work;  while  masons  were  carrying  up  one-half  of  the  mill,  we 
were  preparing  timbers  to  put  on  to  that  half;  we  found  that  our  timbers  were  some 
four  inches  too  short  on  each  end  ;  our  custom  was  and  always  has  been  to  lay  the  tim- 
bers eight  inches  certain  over  the  wall ;  think  I  went  to  Captain  Bigelow  about  it ;  it 
was  always  my  custom  to  do  so;  the  anchor  irons  were  ordered  of  the  same  length,  and 
were  prepared  at  the  same  time  ;  they  were  carried  out  when  the  timbers  were  too 
short,  by  fastening  them  nearer  the  ends  t)f  the  timbers ;  in  the  shortest  timbers  the 
fastenings  would  be  eleven  inches  from  the  end  ;  think  that  sufficient  for  all  practical 
purposes;  considered  the  short  timbers  perfectly  safe,  and  the  shortest  ones  had  four 
inches  bearing  on  the  main  wall ;  after  seeing  Captain  Bigelow,  we  made  arrangements 
to  have  projections  built  out ;  our  beams  don't  come  always  of  the  same  depth,  and  we 
level  them  on  the  top  because  we  don't  want  to  take  them  all  down  to  the  size  of  the 
smallest;  to  level  them  thus,  we  put  under  pieces  of  hard  pine  board,  varying  in  thick- 
ness, according  as  the  timbers  varied ;  those  boards  were  laid  so  as  to  bear  on  the  whole 
of  the  main  wall  and  about  two  inches  on  the  projection ;  recollect  some  of  the  planks 
were  found  to  be  wormy  and  they  were  taken  out ;  don't  recollect  that  any  main  tim- 
bers were  found  defective  ;  the  first  floor  was  composed  of  three-inch  plank,  and  inch 
and  a  half  hard  pine  board ;  the  spikes  used  in  the  planks  were  tenpenny ;  two  were 
put  in  narrow  planks  and  three  in  the  wide  ;  between  every  bearing  there  were  three 
dowels  seven-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter ;  over  the  second  and  third  floors  were  inch 
and  a  quarter  hard  pine  boards,  laid  diagonally,  and  sheathed  below  with  white  boards 
an  inch  and  a  quarter  in  the  rough,  nailed  once  in  every  eight  inches ;  the  floors  above 
were  made  with  the  same  timber,  not  laid  diagonally ;  in  laying  these  large  timbers 
should  expect  the  bottom  of  the  timbers  would  vary  in  the  centre  between  the  bear- 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  85 

ings ;  sometimes  they  vary  an  inch ;  they  might  vary  an  inch  in  this  mill ;  some- 
times the  ends  will  vary,  and  then  my  custom  has  been,  when  we  make  a  joint,  to 
select  those  nearest  of  a  thickness,  and  then  plane  the  largest  down,  I  think  we  never 
put  pieces  of  board  on  the  pintle  caps  to  compensate  for  the  difference  of  thickness  in 
making  the  joint;  we  used  to  have  pieces  of  wrought  iron  to  lay  on  the  cap  of  the 
pintle  ;  should  think  these  irons  did  away  with  the  advantage  of  the  groove  in  the 
base  of  the  pintle ;  should  expect  some  sagging  in  the  timbers  in  the  course  of  six 
years;  the  effect,  of  heat  would  cause  an  increase  in  the  inequality  of  the  lower  sur- 
face of  the  timbers  warped;  some  timbers  are  more  cross-grained  than  others,  and 
would  warp  more;  the  fact  that  the  floor  of  the  fifth  story  had  settled  three  inches 
would  have  surprised  me ;  should  not  have  expected  that  this  floor  would  sao;  so  much 
with  the  weight  it  was  calculated  to  bear ;  should  not  have  expected  more  than  an 
inch  or  an  inch  and  a  quarter;  to  look  at  a  sagging  timber  one  would  think  that  the 
sag  was  greater  than  it  would  prove  by  actual  measurement;  on  last  Thursday  and 
Friday  I  went  to  the  ruins  and  examined  the  main  gear  and  the  counter  gear ;  ex- 
amined the  wall  exposed  ;  was  not  able  to  see  any  indication  of  settling ;  think  I  saw 
a  crack  in  the  window  sill  at  the  south  end,  below  the  floor ;  last  Tuesday  went  to 
the  ruins  with  Mr.  Francis,  of  Lowell,  and  he  expressed  himself  perfectly  satisfied 
that  the  foundation  had  not  settled;  don't  know  as  LL\  Francis  saw  the  crack  in 
the  window  sill ;  supposed  it  was  caused  by  the  strain  of  the  fall ;  in  the  mean 
time,  examined  and  overhauled  the  pillars ;  found  a  defective  one  exhibited  about  a 
hundred  feet  from  the  southerly  end ;  I  thought  before  that  if  I  saw  a  pintle  broken  like 
this,  it  would  be  great  evidence  ;  am  perfectly  satisfied  in  my  own  mind,  knowing  the 
rigidity  of  the  floors  and  the  manner  in  which  they  were  constructed,  that  if  one  of  the 
flanges  should  break,  the  whole  structure  would  fall ;  if  the  flange  should  break,  the 
wood  around  the  pintle  might  not  come  close  to  it,  and  the  hollow  pillar  might  drop 
down  five  or  six  inches ;  that  would  break  the  pillar,  and  the  others  would  be  thrown 
out  by  the  inclination  of  the  pressure  ;  if  the  walls  had  been  four  feet  thick  they  would 
have  come  down  by  the  pressure  of  the  roof,  which  was  not  self-supporting  ;  a  self-sup- 
porting roof  would  make  the  walls  much  stronger. 


Seventh  Day.  — Morning  Session. 
GEORGE   HOWE,   RECALLED. 

I  would  remark  in  regard  to  my  confidence  in  the  wall,  I  should  just  as  soon  thought 
of  asking  whether  Mr.  Ebenezer  Francis'  note  was  good  for  half  a  million  dollars, 
if  he  were  living,  as  I  should  have  thought,  knowing  its  history,  of  asking  the  opinion  of 
any  one  in  regard  to  this  building.  Knowing  the  gentlemen  connected  with  its  con- 
struction, I  should  have  supposed  the  inquiry  in  any  case  would  have  excited  great 
mirthfulness. 

TESTIMONY   OF    E.    B.    HERRICK. 

Reside  in  Lawrence  ;  am  employed  in  the  Washington  Corporation  ;  have  charge  of 
the  yard,  and  watch ;  at  the  time  of  the  accident  I  was  standing  in  the  Washington  Corpor- 
ation yard,  looking  towards  the  Pemberton  Mill,  talking  with  Mr.  Piersons,  Street  Com- 
missioner ;  my  impression  was  first  that  there  was  a  snow  slide,  by  the  noise  ;  didn't 
know  but  what  it  was  a  coal  pile ;  it  seemed  to  come  from  the  direction  of  the  Pember- 
ton Mill ;  I  could  see  the  north  end  and  could  not  see  the  south  end  ;  in  a  few  seconds  the 
part  of  the  building  I  could  see  fell;  should  think  it  fell  mostly  towards  the  AVashington 


86  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

Mills;  saw  no  bulging  of  the  walls;  heard  no  explosion  before  the  fall ;  expected  to  have 
fire  to  contend  with ;  saw  lights  in  the  ruins  ;  went  to  the  end  next  to  the  Pemberton  to 
look  out  for  it ;  got  hose  out  then  ready  for  fire ;  have  never  noticed  any  weakness 
about  the  building ;  have  never  made  any  examination  before  the  fall  or  after ;  couldn't 
have  told  what  kind  of  pillars  were  in  the  building  ;  never  saw  the  mortar  while  it  was 
making;  think  I  have  heard  Mr.  Hodgman  say  he  didn't  think  the  flange  of  the  pintle 
was  strong  enough ;  heard  there  was  one  broken,  and  that  he  repaired  it,  and  think  that 
he  said  they  should  be  altered,  and  that  some  preparation  was  made  to  remedy  the 
weakness  ;  didn't  know  what  it  was. 

I 

TESTIMONY   OF    GAMALIEL    GLEASOX. 

Am  a  mason ;  have  been  a  mason  thirty-four  years ;  took  a  contract  under  Capt. 
Bigelow  on  the  Pacific ;  employed  under  him  on  the  Pemberton  and  Atlantic ;  Capt. 
Bigelow  always  cautioned  me  to  do  my  work  strong,  and  if  it  was  not  done  strong  I  had 
to  have  it  re-laid  ;  did  thus  sometimes  re-lay  work ;  he  required  thorough  work  as  much 
as  any  man  I  ever  worked  under;  I  put  in  fire  escapes  and  drilled  holes  for  ladders ;  I 
drilled  some  of  the  holes  through  the  walls  ;  might  have  helped  drill  twenty  or  thirty ; 
didn't  see  any  indications  of  weakness  or  deficiency  in  the  wall ;  think  the  mortar  was 
not  very  strong ;  think  it  was  partly  in  the  lime  ;  it  was  Vermont  lime,  which  is  not  so 
good  as  Thomaston  ;  believe  it  is  not  so  strong ;  saw  no  indication  of  the  mortar  being 
weakened  by  too  large  a  proportion  of  sand ;  thought  the  mortar  separated  from  the 
bricks  more  than  usual  here ;  suppose  it  was  caused  by  the  bricks  being  dry  when  they 
were  laid ;  when  bricks  are  light  we  usually  wet  them  ;  these  were  bricks  of  about  medium 
hardness ;  we  used  Vermont  lime  on  the  Pacific  ;  at  that  time  it  was  used  most  altogether 
here ;  think  the  walls  were  not  thick  enough  for  such  a  load  as  was  put  into  that  mill ; 
never  saw  a  mill  loaded  as  this  was ;  believe  the  whole  work  on  the  building  was  done 
well,  though  I  thought  it  was  too  light. 

Afternoon  Session. 
TESTIMONY  OF   JAMES   A.   FOGG. 

Am  a  wheelwright ;  was  employed  for  a  short  time  by  the  Pemberton  Mill  Company ; 
was  there  under  Mr.  Hodgman  ;  was  there  to  set  up  machinery  and  level  it  up,  as  it 
first  came  to  the  mill ;  never  was  called  to  work  there  at  any  other  time ;  noticed  a  sag- 
ging of  the  timbers  between  the  bearings ;  noticed  it  most  particularly  in  the  card-room ; 
sometimes  had  to  level  up  the  machines  an  inch  ;  when  we  set  them  the  levelling  varied 
from  one-half  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half;  think  there  was  greater  sagging  between 
the  walls  and  the  pillars  than  between  the  two  rows  of  pillars ;  the  machinery  was  on 
the  floor  when  I  went  there ;  I  worked  on  the  section  at  the  south  end  ;  did  not  take 
any  notice  of  it  until  I  went  to  work  levelling  up ;  then  found  it  had  sagged  a  good  deal 
—  more  than  in  other  mills  where  I  have  worked  levelling  up  machinery;  I  ascribed  the 
sagging  to  the  length  of  the  span ;  never  saw  any  sign  of  any  timber  giving  out,  but 
thought  they  were  not  large  enough ;  in  the  fifth  story  levelled  up  a  dressing  machine 
about  an  inch  ;  don't  recollect  of  ever  seeing  a  machine  set  on  a  floor  without  more  or 
less  levelling ;  only  worked  on  the  west  side  of  the  south  end  of  the  fifth  story  ;  didn't 
notice  whether  there  was  any  sag  on  the  east  side ;  in  the  second  story  the  sagging  ex- 
tended as  far  as  I  worked  —  from  the  south  end  to  the  centre ;  the  lowest  place  was  in 
the  centre  between  the  bearings. 


THE   LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  87 


J.   P.   PUTNAM,   RECALLED. 


Since  I  testified  before,  I  have  found  a  draft  of  the  columns  and  pintles  among  the 
plans  of  boarding-houses ;  it  was  sent  me  by  Capt.  Bigelow.  [Witness  then  read  a 
letter,  from  Mr.  Francis  to  witness,  advising  that  it  would  be  better  to  have  the  pillars 
six  inches  in  diameter  and  three-quarters  of  an  inch  thick,  declaring  that  that  would 
allow  a  large  margin  of  security ;  also  a  letter  in  answer  to  the  above,  transmitted  from 
Capt.  Bigelow  to  witness,  saying  that  he  thought  the  dimensions  were  large,  and  asking 
witness  to  choose  between  wood  and  iron ;  also  a  letter,  from  Capt.  Bigelow  to  witness, 
saying  he  could  not  vouch  for  four-inch  pillars,  and  giving  some  remarks  in  detail ;  also 
a  letter,  from  same  to  same,  asking  to  have  the  iron  caps  for  pillars  forwarded.]  The 
plan  before  me  was  the  one  I  received  from  Capt.  Bigelow  ;  think  the  idea  of  employ- 
ing the  pintles  with  the  pillars  grew  out  of  a  conversation  between  Capt.  Bigelow  and 
myself,  something  to  the  following  effect :  Capt.  Bigelow  thought  of  using  wooden  pillars, 
and  I  thought  iron  ones  would  be  stronger,  when  Capt.  Bigelow  said  that  columns  with- 
out connection  would  not  be  safe  in  a  case  of  fire  ;  the  founder  might  have  suggested 
pintles  to  me,  and  I  might  have  referred  it  to  Capt.  Bigelow,  or  the  latter  might  have 
suggested  it  to  me ;  never  knew  of  the  connection  between  columns,  by  means  of  a  clasp, 
until  Mr.  Coolidge  testified  the  other  day  ;  don't  think  I  ever  estimated  the  difference 
between  the  weight  of  the  columns  which  the  Lawrence  Company  would  make  and 
those  made  by  Mr.  Woods ;  made  the  contract  for  the  columns  with  Mr.  Fuller ;  never 
had  any  dealings  with  Mr.  Woods,  who  owned  the  foundry  ;  since  my  memory  has  been 
refreshed,  I  recollect  something  of  ordering  a  set  of  extra  caps  for  the  pintles  when  the 
cap  of  one  was  broken ;  think  we  only  ordered  enough  for  one  floor ;  they  were  not  used  ; 
don't  recollect  of  giving  orders  to  have  their  manufacture  discontinued  ;  the  extra  weight 
mentioned  in  the  bill  was  because  the  pillars  first  made  for  the  second  story  were  con- 
sidered too  light  and  were  used  for  the  third  story,  and  heavier  ones  placed  in  the 
second  story ;  don't  recollect  about  giving  notice  to  Capt.  Bigelow  that  Mr.  Woods  had 
notified  me  that  the  pillars  were  ready  to  be  tested ;  didn't  know  how  columns  were 
tested,  but  supposed  that  the  usual  means  employed  by  engineers  would  be  employed  ; 
no  one  ever  spoke  to  me  about  the  building  being  too  slightly  built ;  I  had  confidence  in 
the  opinion  of  Capt.  Bigelow  in  regard  to  the  pillars ;  didn't  feel  myself  responsible  for 
the  engineering,  but  when  I  saw  any  thing  where  I  thought  something  could  be  done  to 
make  it  stronger,  I  usually  suggested  it ;  there  was  some  uneasiness  felt  among  the  di- 
rectors as  to  the  foundation,  but,  after  a  conversation  with  Capt.  Bigelow,  I  felt  perfectly 
satisfied  about  the  foundation ;  think  we  did  not  consider  the  breaking  of  the  pintle  of 
much  importance ;  the  directors  felt  some  uneasiness  about  a  small  stream  of  water  seen 
under  the  foundation ;  I  did  not  know  but  we  ought  to  drive  piles ;  the  directors  came 
and  looked  at  it,  but  it  was  afterwards  considered  unnecessary. 

JESSE  GLOVER,  RECALLED. 

I  was  superintendent  of  the  repairs  for  the  Pemberton  Company,  from  three  years 
ago  last  March  until  the  disaster ;  Ira  True  was  there  eighteen  months ;  don't  think  I 
have  given  any  orders  to  him  or  to  anybody  else  to  level  any  shafting  in  that  mill  since 
the  mill  has  been  run  by  the  company  which  owned  it  last ;  some  shafting  was  moved 
in  the  fourth  story  within  the  last  four  weeks,  about  two  feet  from  the  former  line ;  this 
shafting  was  attached  to  the  upper  beams,  and  the  beams  were  in  good  condition  ;  the 
main  shafting  never  has  been  levelled  since  I  have  been  there ;  commenced  to  do  it, 
but  found  them  so  near  right  that  it  was  unnecessary ;  since  that  the  shafting  has  run 
better  than  I  ever  saw  any  in  any  other  mill ;  it  was  my  duty  to  go  through  the  mill 


88  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

and  examine  it ;  every  tiling  needing  repairs,  or  unusual  in  the  running  of  the  machin- 
ery, was  reported  to  me  ;  feel  confident  that  when  we  moved  that  shafting  there  was  not 
two  inches'  sag  in  the  floor  between  the  bearings  on  the  wall  and  those  on  the  columns; 
Mr.  Craig  said  he  never  saw  the  shafting  run  better  than  on  that  day ;  it  would  not  be 
probable  that  all  the  beams,  from  north  to  south,  would  sag  alike ;  if  they  sagged  to  any 
extent  unequally,  the  shafting  would  have  to  be  levelled;  never  knew  any  shafting  to 
be  levelled  up  the  second  time ;  never  knew  of  any  defect  which  I  desired  to  keep 
from  anybody ;  have  levelled  up  the  mules,  which  is  always  done  in  all  mills  where  I 
have  been ;  in  the  card-room  I  levelled  a  line  of  shafting  which  ran  in  the  centre  of  the 
beams,  and  commenced  to  do  more  of  the  same ;  saw  the  testimony  of  Mr.  True  ;  have 
no  doubt  that  my  testimony  about  the  settling  of  the  floor  is  correct;  if  it  had  settled 
three  inches,  a  person  walking  could  have  seen  it;  I  have  examined  the  boilers  at  the 
south-west  corner ;  they  are  uninjured,  except  where  the  wall  fell  on  them  and  broke 
off  some  pipes ;  there  could  not  have  been  an  explosion ;  the  main  gas  pipe  was  in  the 
north-east  corner ;  there  was  a  main  pipe  running  from  the  basement  to  each  floor ;  on 
the  third  story  the  weight  was  about  equal  the  whole  width  of  the  room ;  in  the  fourth 
story,  the  greatest  weight  was  on  the  west  side ;  should  think  the  southern  half  of  the 
carding-room  was  loaded  heavier  than  the  northern  half;  don't  know  of  any  great  differ- 
ence in  different  portions  of  the  southern  half;  should  think  the  fly  frames  might  come 
up  to  two  tons ;  I  was  present  when  part  of  them  were  moved,  the  last  four  I  did  not  see 
moved;  left  Mr.  Studley  in  charge  of  the  moving;  the  first  one  we  moved  by  hitching 
to  a  post ;  that  was  two  weeks  before  the  calamity ;  the  post  (pillar)  seemed  to  spring  a 
little,  and  we  didn't  do  so  again  ;  in  moving  that  frame  we  fastened  to  two  pillars ;  we 
didn't  apprehend  any  danger  to  the  mill,  but  I  thought  if  we  broke  a  pillar  it  would 
give  us  trouble  by  the  settling  of  the  floor  above  ;  think  I  have  frequently  seen  tackle 
hitched  around  the  post ;  have  been  on  the  top  of  the  building  frequently. 

Evening  Session. 
ELBRIDGE   JOSLYX,   RECALLED. 

The  diameter  and  thickness  of  the  pillars  now  in  the  Atlantic  Mills  are  as  follows : 
They  are  all  six  inches  in  diameter  at  the  base,  slightly  tapering;  first  story,  3-4  inch 
thick;  second  story,  5-8  inch  thick;  third  story,  9-16  inch  thick;  fourth  story,  1-2  inch 
thick;  these  pillars  were  made  by  the  pound,  according  to  these  dimensions;  clasps 
were  used  instead  of  pintles;  think  the  large  pillars  in  the  basement  of  No.  3,  are  solid; 
they  had  a  receiving  book  which  told  the  weight  of  every  piece ;  the  pillars  where  the 
large  iron  girders  go,  were  solid. 

TESTIMONY   OF   SAMUEL   CUMMINGS. 

Am  a  millwright,  and  reside  in  Lawrence ;  employed  at  the  Washington  Corporation ; 
have  been  the  most  of  the  time  for  the  last  twelve  years ;  was  sent  to  the  Pemberton 
the  next  spring  after  it  commenced  operations  to  make  some  repairs  and  move  machin- 
ery ;  was  employed  to  level  shafting  in  the  basement  of  the  building  some  time  in  that 
spring ;  levelled  across  the  counter-shafting  from  east  to  west ;  found  the  shafting  in 
some  places  considerably  out  of  level ;  worked  there  levelling  only  one  day ;  the  great- 
est extent  of  levelling  was  an  inch  and  three-quarters ;  when  the  hangers  were  put  on 
the  floor  between  the  beams,  the  largest  extent  where  the  hangers  were  on  the  cross- 
timbers  was  about  seven-eighths  of  an  inch ;  two  of  us  levelled  about  the  hangers  that 
day ;  think  that  so  much  of  a  sag  would  not  heat  the  shafting  so  that  it  could  not  run ; 
6aw  some  indications  of  heating  in  the  boxes ;  the  sag  was  greater  in  some  places  than 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  89 

in  others;  the  greatest  settling  was  in  the  south-east  corner  of  the  mill ;  when  moving 
frames  in  the  fifth  story,  I  noticed  a  good  deal  of  trembling,  more  than  in  the  Wash- 
ington ;  felt  it  so  much  that  I  told  my  folks  I  didn't  feel  safe  to  work  there ;  we  slid  the 
machinery  on  the  floor  with  bars;  the  machines  were  spoolers,  weighing  from  twelve 
hundred  to  fifteen  hundred  ;  Mr.  Hodgrnan  sent  me  there  ;  think  I  told  him  I  did  not 
feel  safe  there  ;  thought  the  motion  caused  by  the  machinery  here  was  greater  than  in 
the  Washington  or  Atlantic ;  this  was  after  the  trusses  were  put  in ;  supposed  the  trem- 
bling in  the  fifth  story  was  of  the  floor  and  timbers,  and  not  of  the  walls  or  support. 

TESTIMONY   OF   JOHN   WARD. 

Was  in  the  dye-room,  second  story,  south  side,  at  the  time  of  the  accident;  was  be- 
tween the  wall  and  pillars,  perhaps  thirty  feet  from  the  southerly  end ;  was  oiling  the 
machinery  that  day ;  was  looking  towards  the  south  end  at  the  time  of  the  fall ;  thought 
the  gas  was  going  out ;  saw  the  shafting  and  ceiling  give  way ;  was  knocked  down,  and 
it  was  two  or  three  minutes  before  I  got  out ;  the  fall  occurred  two  or  three  seconds 
after  the  tremor  of  the  gas;  the  shafting  fell  at  once  —  some  forty  feet  of  it;  one  floor 
fell  after  another ;  the  centre  of  the  mill  went  first ;  parts  of  the  walls  tumbled  in  and 
other  parts  out ;  know  of  no  jar  or  shock  to  the  pillars  in  our  room ;  heard  a  rumbling 
sound  overhead;  felt  no  jar  or  jostle,  previous  to  the  accident. 

TESTIMONY   OF    SIMON   CRAIG. 

Was  employed  at  the  mill ;  ran  the  wheel  days,  and  watched  nights ;  was  in  the 
weave-room,  at  the  time  of  the  accident,  oiling  machinery ;  heard  a  crash ;  looked,  and 
saw  the  flooring  coming  down  ;  it  might  have  been  thirty  seconds  from  the  time  of  the 
crash  to  the  fall;  what  fell  seemed  to  be  the  westerly  row  of  pillars;  commenced  thirty 
or  forty  feet  from  the  southerly  end  ;  did  not  notice  the  fall  of  the  easterly  end ;  the 
floor  beneath  me  was  firm ;  the  machinery  had  been  running  well ;  the  gearing  had  not 
been  disturbed ;  noticed  no  indications  of  heat  when  oiling  the  machinery. 

Eighth.  Day. —Morning  Session. 
CHARLES   H.   BIGELOW,   RECALLED. 

[The  attention  of  witnesses  was  called  to  a  plan  of  the  columns  and  pintles  brought 
by  Mr.  Putnam.]  This  plan,  and  the  letters  I  have  read,  show  my  agency  in  regard  to 
these  columns  and  pintles,  the  first  idea  being  to  use  wooden  columns.  I  furnished  a 
plan  to  Mr.  Putnam,  which  was  an  exact  transcript  of  this,  as  far  as  it  goes ;  this  is  my 
plan ;  the  form  and  dimensions  of  the  pintles,  as  made,  differ  entirely  from  this  plan  ; 
the  top  was  not  cast  in  connection ;  this  was  not  a  working-plan,  but  was  simply  to  show 
the  vertical  dimensions ;  the  cap  represented  on  the  plan  was  an  inch  and  a  quarter, 
and  it  is  cast  only  an  inch  and  a  sixteenth ;  this  was  simply  to  represent  the  length  of 
the  columns,  and  any  horizontal  dimensions  were  only  put  in  the  plan  accidentally,  as 
these  dimensions  had  been  agreed  upon  before ;  Mr.  Putnam  wrote  to  me  and  asked 
what  size  we  should  have  these  pillars ;  I  made  the  calculations  for  the  dimensions  of 
the  columns,  saying  nothing  about  the  pintles ;  he  also  gets  other  advice,  makes  up  his 
mind  what  size  he  will  have,  and  orders  them  from  a  foundry ;  I  know  nothing  more 
about  them  until  they  are  delivered  to  me  to  put  into  the  mill ;  I  did  not  feel  called 
upon  to  make  a  new  calculation  on  the  pintles;  I  had  calculated  on  the  columns,  and 
had  confidence  in  them,  and  I  have  now,  if  they  had  been  well  cast;  know  the  sugges- 
tion in  regard  to  the  pintles  came  from  Mr.  Putnam,  for  the  special  reason  that  just 


90  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

prior  to  this  I  built  the  Duck  Mill ;  it  was  built  at  a  round  cost,  and  although  it  was  my 
duty  to  save  unnecessary  expense,  I  used  the  columns  and  clasps  I  have  always  used, 
without  any  question ;  in  reference  to  the  Duck  Mill,  though  we  built  it  for  a  round 
sum,  we  spent  ten  thousand  dollars  more  than  we  thought  we  should  when  we  made 
the  contract;  about  these  columns  (showing  one  of  the  broken  pieces)  that  capital  shows 
that  the  thickness  was  not  adhered  to  in  the  castings  :  (showing  another  piece)  that  is  a 
fair  specimen  of  the  lower-story  pillars,  and  it  would  take  much  over  a  hundred  tons' 
pressure  to  crush  it,  if  it  were  properly  cast ;  if  the  columns  had  been  as  good  as  that 
piece,  the  jolt  of  a  breaking  pintle  could  not  have  affected  the  pillar  in  the  least ; 
the  object  of  the  pintle  was  to  connect  the  columns  and  prevent  the  upper  floors  from 
falling  down  in  case  of  fire ;  but  the  theory  on  which  they  are  constructed  is  wrong, 
and  I  never  could  have  used  them  of  my  own  will ;  when  Mr.  Putnam  sent  to  us  that 
the  pillars  were  ready  to  be  examined,  he  didn't  send  for  us  to  test  them ;  they  were  ex- 
amined after  they  came  here  just  as  they  would  have  been  if  we  had  sent  a  man  to  the 
foundry  for  the  purpose ;  I  never  bought  any  pillars  by  the  piece,  but  I  always  bought 
them  by  the  pound ;  in  regard  to  the  mortar,  I  am  satisfied  that  no  fair  examination 
can  be  had  of  that  at  the  ruins,  except  by  taking  some  in  the  wall  which  has  not  fallen 
down ;  the  action  of  fire,  frost,  and  water  has  had  such  an  effect  on  the  mortar  exposed 
to  it,  that  it  cannot  be  properly  examined  ;  from  the  examinations  thus  made  it  is  not 
fair  to  condemn  the  Vermont  lime,  which  is  as  good-looking  lime  as  can  be  found  in 
the  world ;  the  mortar  was  superintended  by  Mr.  Coolidge,  who  has  a  large  experience 
in  such  matters. 

TESTIMONY   OF   II.   D.   CLEMENT. 

Have  been  fifteen  years  a  contractor ;  have  visited  the  ruins  since  the  disaster ;  have 
examined  the  foundation,  and  am  satisfied  it  is  all  good  ;  a  settling  of  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  would  cause  it ;  it  was  no  more  than  four  or  five  feet  from  the  chimney,  and  might 
have  been  caused  by  its  weight ;  found  several  defective  columns ;  have  been  in  the 
habit  of  building  large  mills  ;  never  noticed  so  large  a  building,  which  had  been  built 
that  length  of  time,  without  showing  indications  of  more  settling ;  saw  nothing  to  make 
me  believe  that  the  foundation  was  not  of  the  first  order ;  found  the  brick  pier  in  the 
basement  in  good  condition,  and  the  iron  caps  on  them  entire ;  saw  no  indications  of 
the  outer  casing  of  brick  having  given  away  ;  of  a  few  of  them  the  corners  were  gone, 
but,  on  inquiry,  I  learned  that  it  was  done  since  the  fall ;  found  one  pillar  broken  in  the 
middle,  which  was  less  than  an  eighth  of  an  inch  thick  on  one  side,  and  more  than  an 
inch  and  a  quarter  thick  on  the  other  side ;  it  was  one  of  the  pillars  five  and  five- 
eighths  inches  in  diameter ;  examined  the  mortar ;  it  now  appears  rather  crumbling, 
and  not  so  strong  as  I  have  seen  ;  don't  know  what  effect  fire,  water,  and  frost  have  had 
on  it;  should  not  expect  to  find  mortar  as  this  is  now  ;  saw  some  ten  or  twelve  pillars 
defective  ;  but  only  one  with  a  defect  appearing  on  the  outside  ;  a  man  saw  a  pillar 
that  didn't  look  just  right  on  the  outside,  and  struck  it  with  his  heel  and  made  a  hole 
through  it ;  saw  no  pintles  remaining  in  the  timber ;  saw  no  pillars  remaining  upright ; 
think  the  gearing  stands  very  well. 

TESTIMONY   OF   THOMAS   DOLLIVER. 

Have  examined  the  foundations  since  the  fall  of  the  building ;  saw  nothing  to  give 
me  reason  to  doubt  the  thoroughness  of  the  work ;  saw  several  bad  pillars ;  found  the 
one  exhibited  north  of  the  centre  ;  I  broke  a  good  many  and  found  blow-holes ;  saw 
none  that  could  have  been  detected  by  their  outside  appearance ;  found  them  nearly 
all  broken  ;  when  the  pillars  were  brought  here  from  Boston,  I  helped  carry  them  in  ; 
think  we  broke  one  ;  don't  recollect  whether  it  was  defective  ;  after  that  I  cautioned 


THE   LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  91 

the  men  to  be  careful  in  handling  them  —  not  because  I  thought  they  were  poor  pil- 
lars, however ;  at  the  ruins  we  found  many  pillars  that  we  broke  of  unequal  thickness. 

Ninth  Day.— Morning  Session. 
JOHN   CHASE,  RECALLED. 

Since  I  testified  before,  the  safe  has  been  opened ;  the  floor  plans  were  not  saved  in 
the  safe ;  should  judge  that  the  weight  on  the  second  story,  including  machinery  and 
stock  in  process,  would  have  amounted  to  from  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred 
and  seventy-five  tons ;  on  the  third  story  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  tons ;  on  the 
fourth  about  one  hundred  tons ;  on  the  fifth  story  fifty  or  seventy-five  tons ;  this  is  the 
result  of  an  estimate  I  have  made  since  the  disaster ;  about  three  years  ago  consider- 
able weight  of  machinery  was  removed  from  the  fourth  story ;  on  the  third  floor  the 
greatest  part  of  the  weight  was  on  the  southern  end ;  called  the  weight  of  the  cards  a 
ton  each,  and  the  fly  frames  two  tons  each  ;  I  gave  directions  to  have  the  fly  frames 
moved ;  I  had  noticed  that  the  floor  of  the  fifth  story,  which  was  not  trussed,  had  set- 
tled about  two  inches ;  I  had  noticed  some  places  in  the  floor  where  the  sag  was  greater 
on  account  of  the  piling  up  of  yarn,  and  had  the  overseers  take  it  away ;  had  no  ap- 
prehensions of  danger ;  there  could  not  have  been  a  settling  of  five  inches. 

[Messrs.  John  B.  Tuttle,  Gilman  Tuttle,  Levi  Sprague,  and  Gamaliel  Gleason, 
masons,  testified  to  their  belief  that  the  mortar  was  good,  though  all  agreed  that  it  was 
probably  not  very  strong,  being  made  of  Vermont  lime.] 

Afternoon  Session. 
LEVI   SPRAGUE,   CALLED. 

Reside  in  Lowell ;  am  a  mason,  and  have  been  so  thirty-two  years ;  have  worked  on 
several  mills  ;  have  examined  the  mortar  of  this  building,  and  think  it  is  good ;  was  not 
surprised  to  see  the  bricks  broken  apart,  considering  the  height  from  which  they  fell ; 
think  the  mortar  could  not  have  been  better  made  with  Vermont  lime. 

HENRY   STUDLEY,   RECALLED. 

We  re-adjusted  lines  of  shafting  on  the  fourth  floor  soon  after  the  1st  of  January ;  Mr. 
True  assisted  me  ;  moved  them  from  thirteen  to  twenty  inches  toward  the  centre  of  the 
mill ;  in  taking  down  the  shafting  we  found  some  pieces  of  wood  which  had  been  put  in  to 
level  it  when  it  was  set  up ;  the  pieces  of  wood  were  from  three-eighths  to  five-eighths  of 
an  inch  in  thickness;  think  some  were  over  the  last;  the  shafting  had  been  in  that  po- 
sition for  three  years  previous ;  had  there  been  a  three-inch  sag  in  the  southerly  end, 
think  I  should  have  perceived  it ;  in  the  ruins  we  found  pieces  of  timber  ranging  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  in  thickness ;  never  knew  levelling  up  to  be  done  on  a  Sunday,  when 
it  could  be  done  without  stopping  the  machinery  ;  have  done  no  work  Sundays  for  four 
months ;  know  of  no  levelling  up  of  machinery  for  two  years. 

JESSE  GLOVER,  RECALLED. 

For  two  years  have  not  known  any  machinery  to  be  levelled,  except  such  as  was  moved ; 
I  don't  believe  the  floor  could  have  settled  half  an  inch  since  the  shafting  was  put  up  on 
the  fourth  floor. 

GILMAN   TUTTLE,  RECALLED. 

Think  Mr.  Putnam  was  informed  of  an  apprehension  of  danger  on  account  of  the 
thinness  of  these  walls  ;  I  went  to  Boston  in  company  with  my  brother  ;  we  went  to  see 
Mr.  Putnam  about  the  bricks ;  we  told  him  that  we  thought  the  walls  very  thin  for  such 
a  structure,  and  we  thought  that  nothing  but  good  bricks  should  be  used ;  he  said  he 


92  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

would  see  Capt.  Bigelow  about  it ;  the  bricks  were  rough,  but  were  hard  enough;  the 
light  ones  Avere  thrown  out  by  direction  of  Capt.  Bigelow. 

CAPT.    BIGELOW,   RECALLED. 

[Witness  described  a  pattern  before  the  jury  for  the  "  clasp,"  which  has  been  noticed 
as  the  means  used  in  most  of  the  mills  to  connect  iron  columns;  the  clasp  is  a  heavy 
iron  U,  with  a  cap  in  which  the  beams  rest,  the  clasp  standing  upon  the  top  of  one  pil- 
lar, while  die  pillar  above  sits  on  its  heavy  cap  ;  with  this  contrivance,  if  the  beams  should 
be  taken  out,  or  burned  out,  the  floor  above  would  remain,  secured  by  the  broad  bearing, 
where  a  pintle  might  topple  over.]  Pintles  have  been  used  in  many  other  buildings,  but 
I  never  used  any  in  any  mill  except  the  Pemberton ;  I  believe  Mr.  Putnam  acted  in  good 
faith,  and  lam  responsible  for  adopting  his  suggestion ;  I  do  not  believe,  however,  that  the 
system  of  pintles  caused  this  disaster  ;  I  find  a  column  here  which  does  not  begin  to  aver- 
age a  thickness  which  it  should  ;  with  such  a  column  as  this  before  me,  I  only  wonder  that 
the  building  stood  as  long  as  it  did ;  I  gave  express  instructions  to  Mr.  Coolidge  about 
superintending  the  construction  of  the  foundation  and  the  laying  of  bricks. 

Q.  When  such  careful  supervision  was  exercised  over  the  construction  of  the  founda- 
tion and  the  walls,  how  was  it  that  that  supervision  was  not  extended  to  the  pillars  ? 

A.  We  always  had  confidence  in  castings ;  I  never  knew  of  any  manner  of  testing 
them ;  those  made  at  our  own  shop  we  felt  sure  of,  and  the  man  who  made  these  pillars 
had  as  good  recommendation  as  any  ;  I  don't  know  but  that  as  careful  supervision,  accord- 
ing to  the  custom,  was  exercised  over  the  pillars  as  over  any  other  part ;  the  foundations 
and  walls  were  our  own  work ;  for  the  pillars  we  went  to  a  man  who  does  such  work ; 
if  we  want  a  machine,  and  go  to  a  man  whose  business  it  is  to  make  such  machines,  we 
expect  it  will  be  a  proper  one  when  we  get  it ;  this  will  be  a  lesson  to  all  to  test  cast- 
ings more  carefully  hereafter. 

TESTIMONY  OF  CALEB  CROSBY. 

Am  a  mason  and  contractor ;  have  been  engaged  in  the  erection  of  large  buildings  for 
the  last  fifteen  or  twenty  years ;  have  visited  the  ruins,  and  find  it  very  difficult  to  judge 
of  the  mortar  as  it  appears  now ;  should  think  it  was  pretty  good,  but  not  as  strong  as 
some  I  have  seen ;  saw  no  indications  of  there  being  too  much  sand  in  it ;  don't  know  as 
I  could  have  improved  the  mortar ;  think  it  was  as  good  as  we  usually  find ;  we  have  no 
rule  for  mixing  mortar ;  know  William  Flynn,  of  Lowell ;  think  him  one  of  the  best  hands 
to  make  mortar  that  ever  made  it  for  me  [Flynn  was  the  person  who  made  the  mor- 
tar for  the  Pemberton  Mill]  ;  a  contractor  would  gain  nothing  by  putting  too  much  sand 
in  his  mortar ;  don't  know  of  any  difference  in  the  strength  of  Vermont  and  Thomaston 
lime ;  the  Vermont  will  make  a  greater  amount  of  paste  than  the  Thomaston  ;  have 
used  some  of  the  sand  from  the  Pacific,  and  call  it  excellent.  [The  sand  used  in  the 
Pemberton  Mill  was  from  the  same  place.] 

Tenth  Day.— Morning  Session. 
TESTIMONY   OF    G.    V.    FAWKES. 

'Am  agent  of  the  Washington  Mills ;  was  at  my  desk  in  the  counting-room,  and 
heard  the  building  fall ;  ran  and  looked  out  of  the  window ;  saw  the  people  in  the 
yard  looking  towards  the  Pemberton,  and  looked  towards  it  myself;  saw  the  building 
falling,  and  a  woman  in  the  air  who  threw  herself  from  an  upper  window;  when  the 
dust  had  cleared  away,  I  saw  that  the  mill  had  fallen  down  to  the  second  story  on  the 
north-west  portion ;  the  weight  in  falling  struck  the  roof  of  the  weaving  shed,  and  broke 
it  in  ;  on  the  eastern  side  and  in  the  centre,  the  roofs  were  down  within  a  few  feet  of 


THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY.  93 

the  foundation,  and  the  successive  floors  projected  over  the  lower  some-jten  feet ;  stand- 
ing upon  the  top  of  the  ruins  they  seemed  to  be  level  on  the  west  side,  and  sloped  up 
towards  the  counting-room,  the  privies,  and  the  chimney ;  should  think  all  the  west  wall 
fell  outside. 

TESTIMONY   OF   ISAAC   HINCKLEY. 

Reside  in  Lowell ;  am  superintendent  of  the  Merrimac  Manufacturing  Company ;   in 

1857,  I  visited  the  mill  under  instructions  to  make  an  estimate  of  the  cost  of  building  a 
mill  of  the  same  capacity  for  manufacturing  the  same  kind  of  work  ;  we  (Mr.  Burke 
and  I)  expressly  declined  making  an  estimate  that  would  require  us  to  examine  and 
estimate  the  structure  itself  as  a  building ;  in  passing  through  the  mill  saw  no  reason 
certainly  to  cause  me  to  believe  that  the  mill  was  coming  down  ;  an  uncommon  defec- 
tion of  the  floors  I  was  aware  of;  thought  the  weaving-room  was  heavily  loaded  ;  the 
other  rooms  were  not  uncommonly  so ;  the  mills  that  have  been  built  in  Lowell  since 
1853  have  been  built  with  vaulted  walls.  [Witness  described  the  construction  of  mill 
No.  1,  rebuilt  in  1854,  illustrating  his  description  with  plans.]  The  dimensions  of  the  pil- 
lars of  the  first  story  were  as  follows  :  at  the  base,  6  1-2  inches  in  diameter  and  7-8  inch 
thick ;  midway  of  the  columns,  6  2-3  inches  in  diameter  and  7-8  inch  thick  ;  at  the  upper 
end  6  inches  in  diameter  and  7-8  inch  thick ;  these  pillars  were  cast  at  the  Lowell 
Machine  Shop ;  we  were  told  that  they  were  tested  at  the  machine  shop ;  never  used 
any  test  ourselves  except  that  of  weight ;  the  widest  space  between  the  bearings  in  any 
of  the  mills  in  the  Merrimac  yard,  is  from  twenty  to  twenty-three  feet ;  the  widest  mill 
in  the  yard  is  seventy-two  feet  firom  outside  to  outside ;  at  the  time  of  the  examination  of 
the  Pemberton  Mill,  I  noticed  no  apparent  lightness  of  the  pillars  ;  have  frequently  been 
in  the  Pemberton  Mill  when  it  was  in  motion ;  the  motion  of  the  mill  was  less  than 
noticed  in  the  old  mills  of  Lowell,  and  no  more  than  in  the  new  mills. 

TIIE    TESTIMONY   OF   WILLIAM    F.    BURKE. 

Reside  in  Lowell ;  am  superintendent  of  the  Lowell  Machine  Shop  ;  was  associated 
with  Mr.  Hinckley  in  making  an  estimate  of  the  amount  of  money  it  would  require  to 
duplicate  the  Pemberton  Mill ;  visited  the  mill  and  made  a  cursory  examination  of  it ; 
noticed  considerable  settling  between  the  timbers;  it  was  not  sufficient  to  cause  any  ap- 
prehension of  danger ;  the  estimated  weight  of  the  carding  machinery  and  necessary 
furniture  occupying  the  second  story,  and  a  part  of  the  fourth,  is  three  hundred  and 
twenty-five  tons,  of  the  spinning  machinery  and  furniture  two  hundred  and  thirty-five 
tons;  the  machinery  of  the  fifth  story  weighed  about  seventy  tons.  Taking  the  shafting 
of  another  mill  as  a  point  to  judge  from,  I  can  say  that  there  must  have  been  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  tons  of  shafting  in  this  mill ;  the  largest  proportion  of  the  shafting 
was  in  the  weaving-room,  where  it  was  suspended  from  the  second  story  floor ;  noticed 
the  carding-roorn  was  pretty  heavily  packed  with  machinery,  closer  than  is  common  ; 
the  foundry  at  Lowell  is  under  my  superintendence  ;  no  test  is  employed  for  cast-iron 
pillars,  except  such  as  it  receives  when  the  core  is  extracted,  the  casting  being  slung 
up  and  rapped  to  loosen  the  core  ;  we  make  long  pipes  and  find  little  trouble  in  keep- 
ing the  core  in  the  right  place  ;  water  and  gas  pipes  are  tested  by  being  subjected  to  a 
pressure  of  two  or  three  hundred  pounds  to  the  square  inch;  not  more  than  one  in  ten 
of  the  pillars  we  mould  are  defective ;  the  pillar  before  me  has  the  appearance  of  being 
defective,  from  want  of  care  in  securing  the  core,  from  impurities  in  the  iron,  want  of 
skimming,  and  from  the  iro*  having  been  poured  when  it  was  "  slack"  (not  of  a  suffi- 
cient heat)  ;  the  iron  seems  to  be  as  good  as  what  is  generally  used  in  such  castings  : 
do  not  think  the  moulder  could  detect  a  thinness  of  two-thirds  of  an  inch  in  the.  centre  of 
the  pillar:  never  knew  any  pillars  from  our  foundry  broken    after  they  were   put  up; 


94  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

had  some  returned  to  us  because  they  were  crooked,  which  was  perhaps  caused  by  the 
inequality  of  the  thickness  of  the  different  sides ;  I  could  not  form  an  estimate  of  the 
amount  one  of  these  flanges  on  the  pintle  would  bear  before  breaking,  without  careful 
investigation  ;  but  1  should  think  it  was  a  small  amount  of  iron  to  sustain  such  a  weight 
of  machinery ;  have  no  recollection  of  ever  making  pillars  with  pintles  at  the  Lowell 
foundry. 

Afternoon  Session. 

TESTIMONY   OF   WILLIAM    II.   BURLEY. 

Am  a  physician  in  Lawrence;  have  practised  here  five  years;  saw  Maurice  Palmer 
before  his  death  at  the  City  Hall ;  his  neck  was  cut  in  three  places,  each  gash  being 
superficial,  and  each  about  two  inches  in  length  ;  the  wounds  cut  through  the  veins ;  the 
interior  veins  were  not  injured;  I  should  say  the  wounds  were  of  a  serious  nature,  and 
that  death  might  result  from  the  loss  of  blood  ;  thought  he  was  injured  internally ; 
thought  at  the  time  if  he  had  had  no  other  injuries  than  those  wounds  in  his  neck  he 
might  have  lived ;  think  his  internal  injuries  were  severe  enough  to  make  his  living  im- 
possible. 

J.    P.   PUTNAM,   RECALLED. 

Wish  to  set  myself  right  in  regard  to  my  agency  in  the  matter  of  the  pintles  and  pil- 
lars. [Witness  read  a  copy  of  a  letter  sent  by  witness  to  Capt.  Bigelow,  referring  to 
the  pintles,  and  saying  the  plans  made  for  them  would  be  submitted  to  him.]  I  think 
that  the  suggestion  came  from  Capt.  Bigelow  to  me  in  regard  to  the  pintles ;  he  does 
not  aoree  with  me,  however  ;  I  wish  to  show  that  whatever  was  done  by  me  was  done  with 
Capt.  Bigelow's  knowledge  and  sanction ;  I  submitted  every  thing  I  wanted  to  Capt. 
Bigelow ;  I  did  not  myself  desire  to  undertake  the  responsibility  of  the  engineering. 

CAPT.   BIGELOW,   RECALLED. 

Windows  contained  forty  panes  each,  eight  high  and  five  wide,  and  the  glass  was  ten 
by  fourteen,  making  the  length  of  the  windows  about  ten  feet;  the  space  on  a  vertical 
line  between  the  window  caps  of  one  story,  and  the  window  sills  of  the  next  was  about 
three  feet,  until  at  the  fifth  story  where  the  cap  of  the  fourth  story  is  the  sill  of  the  fifth ; 
the  longest  span  in  the  mill  was  twenty-six  feet  and  ten  inches,  the  greatest  vertical  dis- 
tance from  floor  to  floor  was  in  the  weave-room,  fourteen  feet;  and  the  second,  third, 
and  fourth  stories,  thirteen  feet ;  the  height  of  the  mill  from  the  top  of  the  weave-room 
floor  to  the  top  of  the  wall  was  sixty-three  feet ;  to  the  top  of  the  attic  floor  it  was  fifty- 
three  feet. 

TESTIMONY   OF   J.    B.    FRANCIS. 

Reside  in  Lowell ;  am  an  engineer,  employed  substantially  by  the  various  corporations 
of  Lowell,  and  an  agent  of  the  Company  of  Locks  and  Canals ;  have  been  employed 
by  the  Locks  and  Canal  Company  about  twenty-five  years ;  and  my  connection  with  the 
whole  of  the  mills  has  been  about  fourteen  years ;  have  been  called  upon  to  design 
particular  parts  of  various  structures;  the  parts  where  I  have  been  called  upon  to  advise 
principally  have  been  the  foundations  and  motive  power  ;  my  business  has  been  mainly 
connected  with  water  power  for  some  years. 

Q.  Please  state  what  connection  you  ever  had,  if  any,  with  the  use  of  the  pillars  of 
the  Pemberton  Mill. 

A.  The  year  before  the  mill  was  built  I  was  asked  by  Mr.  Putnam,  who  was  at  the 
time  treasm-er  of  the  Boott  Cotton  Mills,  at  Lowell,  in  relation  to  the  pillars  of  a  mill 
he  was  then  intending  to  erect  at  Lawrence  ;  what  was  said  I  cannot  now  recollect,  but 
I  subsequently  wrote  him  the  letter  following  : — 


THE    LAWKENCE    CALAMITY.  95 

"Lowell,  Dec.  18,  1852. 

"  Dear  Sir : — Assuming  the  weight  on  the  lower  columns  is  the  same  as  that  on  the  cor- 
responding columns  of  the  Prescott  Spinning  Mill,  a  column  seven  inches  diameter  and 
one-half  an  inch  thick  would  give  ample  strength,  provided  it  could  be  properly  cast.  I 
should  think  it  would  be  better  to  make  it  six  inches  in  diameter  outside  and  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  thick,  which  gives  an  abundant  margin  for  all  contingencies.  Of 
course,  any  column  which  has  manifest  imperfections  should  be  rejected  ;  but  my  calcu- 
lation is  intended  to  cover  all  ordinary  imperfections.  Of  course,  the  columns  in  the 
upper  stories  may  be  gradually  diminished  in  size  and  thickness. 

"  Very  respectfully  yours, 

"JAMES  B.  FRANCIS." 

As  now  informed,  the  area  of  floor  supported  by  each  column  in  the  Pemberton 
Mill  was  fully  double  that  supported  by  each  corresponding  column  at  the  Prescott 
Spinning  Mill,  and  consequently  each  column  had  to  support  double  the  weight  at  the 
Pemberton  Mill  that  each  column  had  to  support  at  the  Prescott.  This,  of  course,  is 
assuming  that  the  weight  per  square  foot  of  floor  is  as  great  at  the  Pemberton,  as  at 
the  Prescott,  of  which  I  suppose  there  can  be  no  doubt.  In  the  Pemberton  the  spans 
were  26  feet  10  inches  by  It)  feet,  giving  an  area  of  2G8  1-3,  and  on  four  floors,  1073  1-3. 
In  the  Prescott  Mill  the  spans  were  16  feet  by  8,  giving  an  area  of  128  feet,  and  on  four 
floors,  512  feet.  Besides  this,  the  roof  of  the  Prescott  Mill  is  self-supporting,  while  that 
of  the  Pemberton  was  not;  the  roof  loaded  with  snow  would  amount  to  a  third  or  a 
half  of  the  weight  of  another  floor ;  always  make  an  estimate  for  any  particular  case 
of  the  strength  wanted ;  I  put  one-twelfth  or  one-fifteenth  part  of  the  weight  on  a  col- 
umn that  would  break  it  if  the  column  was  perfect ;  the  rule  is  deduced  from  experi- 
ments on  nicely  adjusted  columns,  such  as  are  never  expected  to  be  found  in  common 
pillars ;  instead  of  giving  an  estimate  of  the  Pemberton,  I  took  another  structure  of  the 
same  height,  and  gave  the  same  estimates  for  it ;  if  the  structure  differed  from  it,  the 
estimate  should  have  differed.  A  column  12  feet  long,  5  3-4  inches  in  diameter,  and 
3-8  of  an  inch  thick,  according  to  the  rule  given  by  Hodgkinson,  has  a  breaking  weight 
of  231  tons;  a  similar  pillar,  only  5  1-2  inches  in  diameter,  with  same  thickness  and 
length,  has  a  breaking  weight  of  203  tons,  by  the  same  rule  ;  a  column  of  the  same 
length  and  thickness,  5  5-8  inches  diameter  at  the  base,  and  5  1-8  inches  in  diameter  at 
the  top,  with  a  true  taper,  by  the  same  rule,  has  a  breaking  weight  of  190  tons;  this 
rule  was  deduced  from  experiments  upon  a  large  number  of  columns  of  various  sizes, 
the  largest  being  7  feet  long  and  3  inches  in  diameter.  I  made  an  estimate  of  the 
strength  of  a  flange,  7  inches  in  diameter,  1  1-8  inches  thick,  resting  on  a  pintle  3  inches 
in  diameter,  with  a  column  resting  on  it  5  5-8  inches  in  diameter,  and  1-2  an  inch  thick, 
not  perfectly  fitted ;  I  made  its  breaking  weight  to  be  about  45  tons ;  a  fourth  part  of 
that  would  be  a  safe  weight,  perhaps,  a  fifth  safer,  and  some  would  use  a  third  —  from  a 
third  to  a  fifth. 

Q.  Was  this  shoring,  in  your  opinion,  in  any  way  insufficient  ? 

A.  I  am  in  the  habit  of  coming  at  these  things  by  figures.  It  is  useless  to  guess 
when  a  fact  can  be  so  easily  demonstrated,  if  I  can  know  the  weight  to  be  supported. 
Estimating  the  weight  as  follows  :  Machinery  on  second  floor  two  hundred  and 
seventy-eight  tons ;  third  floor  one  hundred  and  fifty  tons  ;  fourth  floor  one  hundred 
tons ;  fifth  floor  seventy-five  tons ;  shafting  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  tons ;  five 
hundred  people  thirty-one  tons ;  stock  on  upper  floors  sixty-five  tons ;  piping  and  col- 
umns sixty  tons ;  the  floors  and  roof  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  tons ;  total 
two  thousand  one  hundred  and  forty-one.  The  weight  for  each  column  on  the  lower 
floor  would  be  twenty-five  tons.     This  is  between   one-ninth  and  one-tenth  of  the   esti- 


9G  THE    LAWRENCE    CALAMITY. 

mated  breaking  weight  of  the  columns  ;  that  ought  to  be.  sufficient ;  providing  that  the 
columns  were  made  as  nearly  perfect  as  they  are  usually  made,  this  would  be  safe, 
though  not  so  large  a  margin  as  I  should  recommend ;  but  as  the  columns  turn  out,  I 
consider  it  was  entirely  unsafe.  The  weight  of  twenty-five  tons  on  the  pintle  being 
more  than  one-half  of  the  breaking  weight,  I  should  consider  to  be  entirely  unsafe.  If 
these  columns  had  been  as  good  as  they  ordinarily  are  and  a  pintle  had  broken,  think 
it  would  not  have  endangered  the  fall  of  the  mill ;  think  the  pintle  a  poor  thing  any 
way ;  if  I  had  been  called  upon  to  give  a  professional  opinion  in  regard  to  the  strength 
of  the  pintles  for  the  weight,  I  should  have  gone  through  the  same  calculation  I  have 
now  gone  through,  and  I  don't  see  how  I  could  have  arrived  at  any  other  conclusion. 
Think  there  should  have  been  another  row  of  columns  in  the  mill;  think  vaulted 
walls  should  be  bounded  with  cement ;  I  should  prefer  solid  walls  if  laid  in  mortar ;  we 
have  been  in  the  habit  of  building  thicker  walls  in  Lowell ;  I  should  adhere  to  that ; 
we  don't  know  how  thin  walls  will  do  until  something  happens;  I  don't  imagine  any 
disaster  would  have  come  to  the  walls  if  the  columns  had  not  broken  ;  the  perfect  run- 
ning of  the  lines  would  give  me  additional  confidence  if  I  felt  any  apprehensions,  while 
it  would  be  a  powerful  argument  that  the  trouble  did  not  originate  in  the  walls ;  I 
cannot  escape  the  conviction  that  the  fall  originated  with  some  trouble  with  the  pil- 
lars; but  still  if  the  building  had  not  been  uncommonly  light,  I  do  not  think  the 
breaking  of  one  column  would  have  caused  the  fall  of  the  whole  building ;  should 
not  distrust  the  building  on  account  of  a  crack  near  the  chimney ;  as  far  as  I  know 
there  has  been  no  method  in  Lowell  for  testing  columns ;  the  engineer  has  discharged 
his  duty  when  lie  has  made  the  plans  ;  we  have  divided  things  off  in  such  a  way  in 
Lowell  that  each  man  is  responsible  for  his  own  work ;  this  is  the  first  time  I  ever  heard 
or  read  of  an  iron  column  breaking. 

This  closed  the  evidence  before  the  inquest.     Several  days  were  required  in  the  re- 
view by  the  jury,  and  as  this  work  is  hurried  to  press  the  verdict  has  not  been  returned. 


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I 


